By Firoze Jal Mehta

It’s indeed a matter of great pride for our community, as the timeless, prestigious Fardunji Shapurji Parukh Old Age Home (Parukh Dharamshala), located in the heart of South Mumbai’s Khareghat Colony, enters its 150^th year in 2025. Known for its immaculate planning and administration which ensures providing excellent care and facilities for its senior residents, Parukh Old Age Home’s sesquicentennial is indeed a milestone year to be celebrated by all!

Parukh Old Age Home extends heartfelt thanks to all its magnanimous donors over the years for their generosity, which has been instrumental in its success as one of the leading community-service establishments for our silvers. The institution is equally proud of its residents who add to the glory of their Home.

Established with the munificent endowment by late Fardunji Shapurji Parukh in 1875, Parukh Dharamshala started out as a building, to accommodate destitute Parsi men, on a plot of land in Hughes Road, where now stands Aderbad Co-op. Housing Society. A separate building was constructed to accommodate poor Parsi women on another plot of land, located at the junction of Hughes Road and Gamdevi Road. Towards the end of 1970, both plots were sold and a combined Institution, called ‘F S Parukh Dharamshala’ was constructed for senior Parsis, in Khareghat Colony, behind Aderbad CHSL.

Parukh Dharamshala is known for being efficiently managed by a dynamic Ladies Committee which ensures that residents are provided a clean environment, healthy meals and professional medical treatments. Having earned its reputation as one of the community’s most renowned institutions, Parukh Dharamshala is becoming increasingly famous for housing budding artistic and musical talents, displayed by its residents! This is the result of eclectic efforts including visits by professional artists, singers and musicians who impart training and also provide much entertainment to the residents, thus keeping them mentally active and excited. With something always there to look forward to, it’s like the much-needed light at the far end of the dark tunnel, in their journey during their twilight years.

In terms of honing artistic talents, professional artist volunteers provide an array of training in making lanterns and fans out of paper, painting with water-colours and crayons, building models with Lego plastic bricks alongside junior architects, decorating floors with brilliant rangoli designs, and more. Cognitive skills are also polished with regular jigsaw puzzle contests, games of Housie where winners receive gifts.

Knowing the indispensable benefits of musical therapy for the mental health of our music-loving seniors, Parukh Dharamshalla’s residents greatly enjoy as well as heal with frequent musical sessions as a number of professional artists drop in regularly to regale them with their singing and dancing skills as well as playing musical-instruments. Performing alongside the musicians offers the residents the opportunity to display their talents and liveliness, dancing and singing, thus getting great mental stimulation and physical motivation. In fact, so infectious is the energy that even the canteen staff joins these Bollywood dance sessions!

It is thus, with a great sense of achievement, talent and much pride that Parukh Dharamshala enters its 150^th year of providing priceless service for senior community members, providing them with not just accommodation, food and medical care, but also a true sense of belonging and caring, thereby living up to the very ideals of Parsipanu! Heartfelt congratulations to the management, staff, committee, volunteers and the sprightly residents of Parukh Dharamshala, with special gratitude to all the donors whose continued generosity ensures to keep a smile on the faces of our silvers!