The inauguration of a memorial of Dhirubhai Ambani in this small village that brought the entire Ambani family together has made the villagers here nostalgic about the time spent with the iconic industrialist.
A 43-year old Babubhai Vadher, who owns a small farm behind the late Dhirubhai's residence, now transformed into a memorial, recalls "Whenever Dhirubhai came here, he made it a point to meet the people."
He said Dhirubhai would stay here just like any other person and mingle with the people around. Anyone could meet him easily as there was no security as such.
The Chorwad house where Dhirubhai lived before leaving for Eden (now Yemen), has been transformed into a memorial, which was inaugurated by the Ambani family's guru Ramesh Oza (Bhaiji) in the presence of Kokilaben Ambani, her two sons and two daughters and other family members on Wednesday.
Sixty-five year-old Gorbapa, residing near Dhirubhai's house, said, "whenever he (Dhirubhai) came here, he met people even undergoing treatment at the primary health center and also helped them as per their need."
Bhikhabhai, a 70-year old man remembered Dhirubhai's 1996 visit to the village saying "despite becoming country's leading industrialist, he was humble. He was a man with a simple living and high thinking ideology,".
However, few villagers who expected that Ambani family might announce a package for town's development on this memorable occasion were a disappointed lot as no such announcement was made. However, the Ambani family has been generous to the villagers and offered help in different ways earlier.
The memorial will be open for visitors from January 16.
It has three sections -- a picture gallery, the old residence of Dhirubhai and an auditorium.
The sepia gallery depicts Dhirubhai's journey a captured by pictures, while his old dwelling is arranged the way it was when he lived here and the auditorium is for screening a short film on his life.
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