Dear Maharashtriyans in Dar es Salaam,
It was a great pleasure to recieve your mail,particularly from my birthplace,Daressalaam.Please keep in touch.If possible,pl.give a Pune contact working at Daressalaam today.
I will give you a brief writeup on my past at Daressalaam. My grandfather,Mr.Pralhad Govind Padhye,one of the founder members of prestigious Shikshan Prasarak Mandali at Pune came to Daressalaam around l930.My father completed his school education at Daressalaam and lateron completed his graduation and postgraduation at Banaras Hindu University in early 40s.He then joined his father in Daressalaam and was working as a Forensic Chemist at Govt.Laboratory on Oysterbay Road till l966.He was then a popular Badminton player and all Maharashtrians fondly called him 'Bapu Padhye'.
I was born in Daressalaam in l952 and completed my schooling till Std.VII at Mtendeni School and returned to Pune,India in l964.I joined Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya and completed my S.S.C.in l969.I then graduated from Fergusson College,completed my postgraduation in M.Sc.and Ph.D in Chemistry in l980.
I have been working at Pune, in Rubber industry since then.I have a very strong desire to return to my birthplace as a tourist to see how things are at Daressalaam since I left nearly 4 decades ago.I know that situation changes over time,and 1TSh.which at one time was INR 1.50 today,roughly stands at 1INR at 25 TShs.How is the employment scenario in Rubber industry,if any.Mt.Caramel Rubber factory is one place I know.
Mtendeni School,Hindu Gymkhana playground,Bata Shoe factory, Coca Cola factory ,Aghakhan High School,Upanga area,Arnatoghlu Hall,Nazimoja ground,Askaristatue,Uhuru street,Kariako market,Ferry,Old Customs,Zanzibar Hotel are areas I distinctly remember.Do these places still exist?
There were about 35 Maharashtrian families in Daressalaam during our time.The last to leave Daressalaam was Dr.Gokhale,who met with a seroius accident in Daresalaam and eventually expired in Pune last year.We used to meet at Maratha Mandal near the earlier Alimanga mansions.Later on after we returned to India,MM was renamed as Badminton Institute.
There were 2 Hindu temples opposite to each other and a huge Hindu Gymkhana playground nearby.I used attend evening playgroups till 7.00pm and take a 5 minute walk down to Maratha Mandal where all other friends used to gather in the evenings till 9.00pm.We celebrated all Hindu festivals that were organised at MMandal and the lead was taken by wife of leading medical practioner of that time,Dr.Panwalkar.Every Sunday,the mandal was closed in the eveningsand open half day only for gents who gathered to play cards.We had a tabletenis hall,a newly built Badminton Hall in the mandal.
I distinctly remember the layout of Daressalaam then and I am really looking forward for a revisit soon.We saw movies at Avlon,Chox,Empress,Empire,Odeon theatres and visited Cosycaffe,Fish & Chips,Poornima Hotel on Sunday evenings.
How can I revisit Daresalaam and how much will it cost for 8-10 days stay at a safe place.Let us keep in touch hereafter.Hope to hear from you soon.Till then,regards to all Marathi Daressalaamians.Dr.Mukund V.Padhye |
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