As Pakistanis are experts in distorting the facts, they are not behind in defacing the once beautiful historical monuments, even these so called Islam pasand wanted to change the names of streets and buildings to suit their ugly and false egos pretending that their fathers have built these historical structures.
Sometimes ago I started a thread about super duper world class mayor # 2 to show how in his tenure Karachi once a most beautiful and clean city was defaced. It is a shame that we not only keep our inheritance in original form but corrupt and deface it.
I was born and educated in Karachi, graduated from Nadirshah Eduljee Dinshaw Engineering College/University, which was founded by a Parsi. The gradual defacing of Karachi by successive administrations of Karachi particularly mqm’s ownership is quite unforgivable.
Apologies, Mr Dinshaw! | Metropolitan | DAWN.COM
Sorry Mr Eduljee Dinshaw, we have let you down. That is all that you can say when you chance upon the the Bai Khurshidbai Nadirshah Eduljee Dinshaw Parsi Home on Mansfield Street (now Burhanuddin Road) in Saddar. If we cannot protect and respect the communities which played a pivotal role in making Karachi prosper from a small, sleepy seaside town into a metropolis throbbing with life, what is the legacy that we will leave behind? One cursory visit to the site should be sufficient to open the eyes of those who claim to be the custodians of Karachi’s historical past, with its rich architectural and cultural heritage.
Only a few decades back, the Parsi Home was a picture of architectural grace, whose foundation was laid not just with stones but with profound affection for the Parsi community. It was a structure imbued with an aesthetic sense that went well with the overall environment of the Saddar region. Originally there were only two blocks; much later, a new block was added in between to accomodate more residents. The architecture was simple yet a delight to look at with its round and segmented arch doors fashioned from beautiful wood. The Parsi Home (mind you, it was not called a house and the use of the word ‘home’ was well thought-out) had an ambience which distinguished it from the rest of the edifices on Mansfield Street. Not so in present-day Karachi.
Today Eduljee Dinshaw Parsi Home is shrouded in dust, smog, and filth, the detritus of the urban chaos that surrounds it.
Anyone who has seen the compound in pristine condition could not have imagined the form it has assumed. The hapless residents are scarcely to blame. The side of the compound facing Mansfield Street is soiled to the core, giving pause to anyone inclined to take a closer look. The foul stench of urine that hangs in the air can deter even the most interpid of rag-pickers.
Passersby and street vendors dump all kinds of garbage next to the main portion of the building, contributing to the stench in the area.
Public transport buses halt right outside the main gate to the Parsi Home for a prolonged period of time either because of traffic jams or due to the brawls that take place at the drop of a hat on a daily basis on the busy throroughfare. It is the same area from where buses turn right (Empress Market on the left) to reach M A Jinnah Road, formerly Bunder Road. Spare a thought for those peace-loving Parsis who live, and have been living, here for decades.
“It has become increasingly difficult to survive in these conditions. The smell is sickening and we have to contend with it every day, all day. We have often complained to the concerned authorities about it, but to no avail. The transporters don’t listen to us.
They say it’s not your zameen, and pull up their vehicles outside our homes the whole day. What can at least be done is to raise the footpath a little so that buses stay at a little distance from our building,” says a 70-year-old woman, her brow furrowed with concern. She lives in a flat in the Parsi Home facing Mansfield Street.
According to architect Arif Hasan: “There are classical mouldings in the building. You could say it is a simple structure with classical features. If you look at it closely in terms of style it is somewhat similar to the famous Eduljee Dinshaw Dispensary.
“Let’s look at the problem the building is faced with. When Landhi, Korangi and New Karachi got populated, eastern Saddar became a bus terminal. The reason for it was that a majority of the people used to work in Saddar or old town in those days. It caused rapid environmental degradation and the affluent left the neighbourhood, as a result of which its political importance was affected. Where there are commuters there will be the poorer people, and where there are the poorer people, there will be hawkers. You can’t separate them. In order to rectify the situation a sympathetic plan is required. It is possible for buses to not be allowed to enter this zone. And it is also possible for the larger areas to be pedestrianised,” he says.
Apart from the Parsi Home, a little away from it, on the same road opposite Tahiri Masjid, a structure that the locals know as Shireen Building beckons for attention. Despite the fact that a major portion of the building has been tampered with (bricks and jutting-out balconies which appear to be the result of an afterthought) it makes its presence felt. If this, along with Eduljee Dinshaw Parsi Home, can be revisited for improvement, the ambience of this part of Mansfield Street could change for the better… as it was in the past.
