"Simple living and high Thinking"... My Dattu Mama practiced these sayings throughout his life. You will be remembered not only by me and Mahendra but also Mayuri and Shubham. We all will miss you. You will always be with us..

It seems that my father-in-law was no stranger to anyone. Everywhere he went, he made friends and treated the whole world as part of his inner circle. No one was considered beneath him or unworthy of his time. Baba took everyone at face value and appreciated the inner light they offered. It was, I think, his guiding principle, to see the spark of God in every human being. After Sameer and I were married, Aai and Baba were visiting with us in San Mateo and I took Baba to the City Hall of Foster City, because he wanted to know more about how they had planned a city so like Navi Mumbai, near the water on low-lying land. He walked into the city planner's office, introduced himself, and within ten minutes, he had the man laughing and chatting as if they were old schoolmates! On a visit to India, I wanted to visit a Christian church to pray, and after I went inside, Baba struck up a conversation with the Priest that lasted close to an hour! Everyone was worth his time, everyone had something of value to teach him, as far as Baba was concerned. Such was Baba's charm and goodness, that all were drawn to him. He was not a perfect man, but he was intrinsically good, kind, and generous. He leaves a legacy of uncommon tendency to not only do justice and mercy, but to bring it out in others. We were blessed by his life and will remember him always. With love, Beth

A Gentle, Compassionate and Kind Human Person…  These are the words that resonate with me when I think of my father.  His contributions to Navi Mumbai and many other charitable organizations are exemplary.  I want to write a few words on my relationship with him as his son.  Our relationship had several chapters throughout his life, each at different times…enriching in unique ways.

As a young boy, I remember his encouragement for me to learn, to enjoy and to experience everything that life has to offer.  From Sports to Arts…from School to Movies…the sky was the limit.  I have fond memories of my walks with him, holding his hand, every Sunday morning to the local mutton shop to buy meat for our favorite mutton curry, a dish we enjoyed together a lot.  I have memories of him teaching me to play cricket in the small terrace of our apartment in Sector 1, Vashi.  On some weekends, we used to ride the Harbor train together all the way to Fort, watch movies, go to the Rani-Bagh (zoo) and have a fantastic time eating Vada-Pavs, Pav Bhaji and downing Coconut juice.  These were happy times with my father, which I cherish and miss a lot.  His loving and protective hold on my hand will forever be etched in my memory. 

Then, came my teenage years; and for my dear friends and family members who know me during those times, you will agree that I should start off by tipping my hat to my father for tolerating me so well amid my acts of mischief, mayhem and a penchant for rebellion.  There are some things I did that my father did not know, and God Bless his Soul, it is better that way.   His rules were simple: Keep your grades high, and you get more freedom.  Looking back, I think I ran with the latter putting less credence on the former.  He played a principal role in guiding this angry teenager towards adult hood.  Do not react to immature adults who tell a chief town planner’s teenage son, “Cidco Building Teda Banatha Hain (Cidco makes crooked buildings)”.  When my response would have been “Tere Berojgaar Baap ko Bhej Building Sidha Karne (Then, send your unemployed father to make the building straight)”; he taught me to maintain dignity and silence and win people over with kindness and understanding.  I will admit I am still learning this trait, which he exemplified with stoic courage and self-belief.  While my teenage years were not too different from others growing up in India at that time, with academic, peer, social and all kinds of pressure, I was lucky to have an understanding father.  At around this time, my father also pursued an active interest in paper-machie sculpture.  There were many artistic creations from him, and one particular making – a monolithic abstract “Ganesha” has become his signature gift to friends and family members.  It stands as a testament to his artistic abilities and creative genius in keeping things simple and beautiful.  While I did not inherit his artistic abilities, the motivation and principles reflected in his work serve as a source of inspiration to me every day. 

Later on, when I was trying to gain a foothold and establish a new life in the States, I felt his absence profoundly.  Although, he was not there physically, his gentle voice on the phone and encouraging letters gave me confidence to push ahead despite setbacks.  I remember how he embraced my wife, Beth into the family at our wedding, by referring to her as his own daughter. We cherish his loving, playful times as Ajoba (Grandfather) to my elder daughter, Anoushka.  Alas, his health deteriorated rapidly in the past few years, and while I wish he could spend more time with us and both his grand-daughters, I know he is no longer in pain and suffering.

I will miss him dearly...Rest in Peace, Baba