SHREE SURAT PRAJAPATI SAMAJ
MOMBASA, KENYA
Ambalal Balubhai Mistry, Birmingham
It has been the custom and tradition
of the people of the Indian subcontinent to uphold and spread their
culture, religion and social mode of
life wherever they have settled. This
has been the case with the Prajapati
community in East Africa who
migrated from the Surat District in
the Gujarat state of India. Being an
artisan class of a high calibre, the
community members were in great
demand throughout East Africa.
There were a few families in
Mombasa just after the First World
War - a time when there was a lot
of unemployment. In 1922 ‘SURAT
BHAJAN MANDAL’ was formed with
specific purpose to chant the Lord’s
name. Kenya shillings (KSh)751.25
was donated to Shree Hindu
Union, a Shiv Temple in Makadara,
Mombasa, on behalf of the Mandal.
After the Second World War, due
to an upsurge in employment, the
Prajapati community increased, and
in the year 1941, a general meeting
of the Mandal changed its name
to ‘SURAT PRAJAPATI SEVA
MANDAL’.
Mombasa, being the Gateway of
East Africa, was the chief transit
centre for our members travelling by
sea to and from India. The demand
for a rest house increased. The
outcome was that on 9th May 1942,
a special meeting of the Mandal
unanimously agreed to purchase a
plot worth KSh7,000.00 belonging
to Mr Yusuf Ali Adamji. The plot was
registered under the
trusteeship of Mr
Ichharam Premjibhai
Mistry (Mombasa),
Mr Govindbhai
Ranchhodbhai Mistry
(Mombasa), Mr
Narsinbhai Lallubhai
Mistry (Nairobi),
Mr Dahyabhai
Dullabhbhai Mistry
(Kericho) and Mr
Ranchhodbhai
Bhagabhai Mistry
(Kampala). A
Building Fund
Organising Committee, under the
chairmanship of Mr Pragjibhai
Ranchhodbhai Mistry and twelve
members, was elected on 3rd April
1943 to raise funds and to organise
and complete the building on the
plot.
The well-known architect in
Mombasa, Mr Madhavji Lalji,
generously made a plan of the rest
house free of charge. The plan was
revised by another architect, Mr M. L.
Sachania.
On 5th August 1946 the Foundation
Stone of the building was laid by an
educationist and a leading member
of the community, Mr Rambhai
Gandabhai Mistry, B.A., of Sarpor
(India) who donated KSh501.00 on
the occasion.
Mr Govindbhai Ranchhodbhai
Mistry was engaged on a monthly
salary to be the overall in charge
of construction, guided by a fivemember sub-committee and
assisted by enthusiastic carpenters
and other members in the self-help
spirit to build the rest house.
In spite of several difficulties,
the building was completed in a
short time. With a new name, the
Opening Ceremony of ‘SHREE
SURAT PRAJAPATI SAMAJ’ was
performed by Mr Kanjibhai Jagabhai
Mistry of Sarbhana Vadoli (India) on
26th January 1947. A contractor and
a furniture shop owner in Nairobi, he
generously donated KSh1,151.00 on
this memorable day.
The Samaj centre served the evergrowing community for marriage
ceremonies, religious and cultural
activities as well as for the youth
to organise a library and sports
activities. The members from upcountry found it an ideal rest house
as they could easily reach Kilindini
Harbour, the railway station and later
the bus services. The fifties and
the sixties saw the full use of the
institution and a time had arrived,
when, it was felt, that an expansion
of the building was inevitable. In
the latter half of the seventies the
Divine Life Society organised weekly
evening satsangs for all the Hindu
communities.
However, the tide turned. After the
Independence (Uhuru) of Kenya on
12th December 1963, the Prajapati
families started to decrease due to
political changes, emigrating to India
or UK mostly. Out of more than 800
members in Mombasa alone, there
were less than 100 in 1975!
The committee at that time made a
decision to dissolve the Samaj and
use the money with that from the
Nairobi Samaj to buy a property
somewhere between the railway
station and airport in Bombay
(Mumbai), India, as air travel to
and from India had increased.
However, the General Meeting on
27th August 1975 disagreed. The
events thereafter changed. There
were only five families left and the
building was eventually sold to Mr
Ratilal Naran Mistry for an amount
of KSh185,000.00 on the condition
to keep the name as SHREE SURAT
PRAJAPATI BUILDING. At the
moment he runs his auditing firm
from there. In 2005 an amount of
£7,040.00 was donated from the
Samaj to Shree Prajapati Association
(UK) towards the Education Fund.
I hope this write-up will bring back
so many varied memories for those
who were in contact with the Samaj
and kindly convey them to the new
generation.
vol. 40 | Prajapati Sandesh 2015 | www.prajapati.org.uk
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