Thanks to the largesse of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy (J. J.) Charity Fund that owns the 20,000 sq ft plot, the barren space on the seafront opposite the J. J. Dharamshala has metamorphosed into the Sir J. J. Garden. It was thrown open to the public on Dussehra day, October 12, 2024.
"For several years this plot lay barren, unkempt and in a neglected state,” Sir Jamsetjee (Rustom) Jejeebhoy, Eighth Baronet told Parsiana on October 25. "Since it afforded a clear and unobstructed sea view, our trustees were not keen to erect anything thereon that would obstruct our Dharamshala’s light and air.” The only logical solution was to provide Udvada with a new public space, he stated.
"It is a very nice step taken by the trustees of the Fund… It is a great frontage for the Dharamshala… A great meeting place for the residents of the village,” Udvada High Priest Dastur Khurshed Dastoor informed Parsiana on October 25. The beach lies just beyond the Garden.
Top, from l: Cyrus Unwala, Arzan Khambatta, Sir Jamsetjee (Rustom) Jejeebhoy,
Dastur Khurshed Dastoor flanking Divine Radiance
Clockwise from top: vista of Sir J. J. Garden;
mural of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, First Baronet;
sculpture of Farohar Photo: Dinaz Y. Surti
The Garden has more than 50 different varieties of plants, shrubs and trees. Currently the trees are at the sapling stage. Though a large sand pit has been provided for children, playground equipment is yet to be installed. This will be done in the coming months, stated Rustom. Sufficient seating arrangements have been made for visitors, he said.
Open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., as one enters the Garden from the roadside, one’s gaze is arrested by a sculpture Divine Radiance by artist Arzan Khambatta depicting a fire atop a stylized afarganyu. Three natural stone slabs have been strategically placed to represent the outline of an afarganyu with several stainless steel flames supporting each other, firmly anchored on the stone slabs. As one walks past a green stretch towards the sea, to the left is a four-foot-wide hanging sculpture of a Farohar created by Mazda Store/Jai Khodiyar Maa in Bombay. To the right, on a free-standing wall is an acrylic mural of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy First Baronet, by Sir J. J. School of Art alumnus Pradeep Shinde.
A jashan in the Dharamshala led by Dastoor was followed by the High Priest unveiling the installations. Earlier, Panchvati Garden near Udvada lake had been inaugurated by Dastoor in May 2024 (see "Garden for the gaam,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, June 21-July 6, 2024).
Rustom said they wanted Khambatta to conceive and design a sculpture that would reflect the character and culture of Udvada. "After receiving Arzan’s acceptance, architect Navzer Irani was approached to provide the hardscape (features of an area that have been built out of hard materials such as concrete, rather than natural features such as trees and grass) that would be simplistic in its design and one that would require minimum maintenance.” The civil work in the garden was entrusted to Udvada born businessman Cyrus Unwala of Premier Construction Company. Two horticulturists/landscape designers were involved in the project, Rahul Harishchandra of Alibaug, and Pesi Awari of Udvada, who also maintains the flower beds at the Iranshah complex and has undertaken work for other trusts that Rustom leads.
The Garden will remain under the management and control of the Fund. A gardener cum watchman will remain present at site during the hours it remains open. "It is our hope and wish that visitors to the Garden make utmost use of this facility without littering or impairing the surroundings or defacing any of the installations,” stated Rustom.
"Most calming effect”
Udvada resident and trustee of the Clean and Green Charitable Trust (CGCT) Filly Bapuna told Parsiana on November 3 that the vision of the Jejeebhoy family is "truly heartwarming… The Garden will be a big blessing for people visiting Udvada… Some other trust would have built a building to encash the prime sea-facing property.” Another member from the CGCT team, Neville Velati viewed the Garden as "a serene oasis where nature’s beauty and tranquility entwine.”
"It was a delight to see the plot of land which was unused over the years with unkempt shrubbery transformed into a public garden with a paved walking area, flower beds, benches and aesthetically created installations,” stated Parsiana subscriber Honoze Nekoo who was there the day after the inauguration. From the first floor of the Dharamshala where he was staying, he enjoyed the changing views as the day progressed. He called the mural of the First Baronet an "awe-inspiring homage to the great man… The Farohar with the ocean and evening sky as the backdrop is a wonderful sight… At dusk, the just right garden lights with cool ocean breeze have the most calming effect on the body and mind.”
He stated, "While I would have loved a lawn of natural grass in place of the paved and artificial grass walking areas, understandably the cost and effort to maintain a lawn would have been the deciding factor in favor of the alternative.”