Parsi family’s indelible mark across Surat

Leaving footprints in the sand of time isn’t easy. But a Parsi family, whose three generations contributed in a big way towards development of Surat centuries ago, has left an indelible mark on the Diamond city

It is common to find some city or place named after a person. But three areas of Surat are named after the members of Seth family. Not just the Diamond city, the Seths have left their footprints in Mumbai too where a hill is named after one of its family members.

Rustampura, one of the oldest areas of Surat, is named after Rustam Manek Seth, a Parsi priest who went on to become a broker for English Portuguese and Dutch factories. Farampura, a lesser-known area is named after Rustam’s son Faramji

Rustam’s third son Bamanji, who was popularly known as Nanabhai, has Nanpura named after him. Seth’s youngest son Naoroji has a hill in Mumbai named after him and the roads connecting the area are known as Naoroji Hill Road

These interesting details are documented for a paper by 78-year-old Marzban Giara, a Parsi history researcher, on the 300th death anniversary of Rustam Seth on Friday, Seth passed away on July 30, 1721 in the city,

“Very few know about the history of Rustampura or how it got its name. Same is the case with other areas which too are named after members of the same family, Centuries ago, the Seth family contributed a lot towards the development of Surat,” said Giara, currently settled in Navsari. After retirement from an IT company, Ciara started digging the history of Parsis and published books on his historical findings

Rustampura is a popular area on the Ring Road while Farampura is located between Rustampura and Salabatpura near Singapuri Wadi, informed historian Sanjay Choksi. Nanpura is located near Athwa Gate

Seth built bridges, dug wells, developed ponds and constructed Dharamshalas in and around the city. His three sons Faramji, Bamanji and Naoroji were among the five founding members of the Parsi Panchayat of Bombay, Giara’s paper state.

“Rustam passed away before getting the return of an advance he had given to the East India Company. His son Naoroji went to England to plead the case. He was among first Indians to go to England and was rewarded with a dress of honour and Rs 5,46 lakh,” said Giara

“Very few Surtis know the history of Rustampura and Seth’s legacy. Enough attempts were not made to create awareness but now we should focus on this.” said Yazdi Karanjia, a noted theatre personality.

Source: Click Here