"It was our very modest project for Udvada,” founder trustee of the Clean and Green Charitable Trust (CGCT) Filly Bapuna told Parsiana about the village’s new 10,000 sq ft verdant lawn and garden named Panchvati Garden. We are trying to work for the betterment of the village every day. This is another step for kids… a playground was missing… A few Parsis chipped in to make it sustainable,” he added.
With swings, seesaws and other children’s play equipment, and seating for seniors, the re-enlivened space adjacent to the lake (currently dry) was inaugurated by Dastur Khurshed Dastoor on May 25, 2024 in the presence of the village sarpanch Dharmendra (Raju) Patel and other panchayat members.
Top: View of the new Panchvati Garden in Udvada; above, from l: Dharmendra Patel,
Dastur Khurshed Dastoor, deputy sarpanch Sarosh Irani, Dr Minoo Parabia, Filly Bapuna
Speaking at the event, Dastoor called the Garden "gaam nu heart (heart of the village).” Referring to the closed circuit television system provided by the village administration and garbage bins provided by CGCT, Dastoor hoped the Garden would become the best among the adjoining villages. "It is the responsibility of all to look after it,” advised Patel, who "spearheaded the project, ensuring its successful completion.”
"When next you visit Udvada with your little ones, be sure to explore this picturesque spot by the lakeside — they will undoubtedly enjoy it,” invited Neville Velati who sent Parsiana a note on behalf of CGCT.
Among the donors were the Master Group (for play equipment), Tazin Malcolm Bhatena (for lawns and for providing the post-launch snacks) and Percy Fatakia (for a portion of the lighting).
The Trust has been working with the gram panchayat to create environmental consciousness among the villagers (see "A collaborative clean-up,” Parsiana, June 21-July 6, 2022). They also provided benches along the sea front (see "Comfort on the beach,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, June 7-20, 2023). The Trust requests corpus donations to sustain them in the long run.