Ahmedabad should be a place where life grows: BV Doshi

Did you know the Bombay Telephone Company inaugurated its services in Ahmedabad in 1897 and the first telephone connection was installed between Ranchhodlal Chhotalal’s residence and the mill? Did you know local bus like today’s AMTS and BRTS plied city roads between Lal Darwaja and Kalupur railway station some seven decades ago?

Or the concept of elevators was introduced in city in the 1940s as another public building. These interesting anecdotes and highlights are part of a new book Marching To A Different Beat The Nilkanths of Gujarat and its Gujarati version, Eklo Jane Re…Gujarat na Nilkanth Parivar ni Katha.

Written by Shailaja Kalelkar Parikh granddaughter of Gujarati literary figure and daughter-in-law of known woman writer Vinodinee Nilkanth the book was launched at Vishwakosh Bhavan on Saturday evening. Literary figure Kumarpad Desai and renowned architect BV Doshi were the chief guests.

Translation for the Gujarati version has been done by Sudha Mehta. The book presets family history covering seven generations over a span of 150 years of two important families Nilkanths and Divetias who contributed immensely to the social reforms of Gujarat.

Doshi emphasised in his speech that the two families had laid the foundation for the strong culture of Gujarat.

“How a city should be? There should be sensitivity, feeling and values apart from others. It should be a place where life grows,” he said, adding about the contribution of the two families in introducing reforms in the city be it in the social fabric or the other.

The book has been written from the point of view of Sukumar Parikh her husband and Vinodinee’s son.

“As my three children started going to school, they often had classmates among the Nilkanths and the Divetias who wanted to know how they were related to us. So, I started making small family trees for them,” said the author.