Dear Editor, The Hindu. As Chennai celebrates its 375th anniversary, I wish to draw your attention to the connection Porbandar ( birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi ) and the Parsi community has with the city of Chennai. The M&SM Railway building - now known as the Southern Railway Headquarters building was built of Porbandar stone by the Wadia family of Porbandar. It was my grandfather Rajaratna Mr. Manchershaw Wadia who bid for the contract to build this edifice and together with his brothers executed the project. I have a photo of the Porbandar building stone being tested in Madras for its tensile strength. Following are the details -- H. H. Wadia & Bros, founded by Hormusji Hirjibhoy Wadia, were the pioneers in quarrying Porbandar stone and later played an important role in popularising its use in many parts of the country. When this small, unknown firm bid for the contract to construct the M&SM Railway building in faraway Madras (presently the Southern Railway Headquarters, Chennai) they must have surely faced ridicule. How they bagged the contract and successfully completed it, as also just escaped bankruptcy due to the innate fairplay of the British are tales by themselves. Hormusji, the natural leader, and younger brother Manchershaw, a competent builder and meticulous organiser, camped in Madras for almost a decade from 1913 to 1922. They took along their team of skilled masons from Porbandar under the leadership of master mason Pitambar Hira. The foundation stone was laid by Lord Pentland, Governor of Madras on 8th February, 1915, and the offices were formally inaugurated on 11th December,1922 by Lady Willingdon, wife of the Viceroy. The majestic edifice is constructed with Porbandar stone which was transported for 8 years via sea to Kerala and then by rail to Madras. The building stands as a living tribute to the entreprenaurial traits of our family. Regards. Mr. Porus Wadia, Parvandah, Wadia Road, Porbandar 360575 Photos: Hormusji Wadia, Manchershaw Wadia and Southern Railway Headquarters
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 14:41:29 +0000