THE PARSI’S OF SRI LANKA – By Des Kelly

There is a “saying”, it’s not what you know, but WHO you know”, and this is very true. Parsi’s did not abound in Sri Lanka or the Ceylon, I knew, yet, as I remember them, Parsi girls were some of the prettiest in the Island. No names or pack-drill, as they also say, but I did know one or three of these beautiful lasses, and, for those of my readers that recall this tiny Community, the complexion of Parsi women, in my opinion, was flawless. Skin colour is irrelevant. It really does not matter what colour you end up with, you are normally born “pink”, & you are “grey” at the end of your day,

the Sinhalese are quite often, dark-skinned, Tamils sport an even darker skin-tone, Burghers are generally fair-skinned, but, the Parsi gals I knew had olive complexions that many other girls envied, (and I knew a few of them, too).

Being olive-skinned & beautiful were just two assets.

These Parsi’s (in general), had other talents that I was personally aware of. Eardley Demmer, a cousin of mine was a pianist of no mean repute, who studied his craft with a Parsi Lady by the name of Mary Pestonjee, reputed to be one of the best Piano-teachers in Ceylon, at the time. Eardley (R.I.P.), passed his final “test” with her, scoring an amazing 99%, the highest score that Mary (R.I.P.), had awarded anyone, and Mary certainly knew what she was doing.

Another Parsi gentleman (this time), was a great Doctor Billimoria that I met, while serving in the Royal Ceylon Navy in Diyatalawa. He was an avid “reader”, as I was, myself, and even without google or the internet to fall back on, there was always solid good advice, he gave, to the younger generation. His son, also became a doctor who looked after many Lankan/Aussies in Melbourne, & still does, I believe.

Finally, another R.Cy.N. Officer who served with me, one who I keep “in-touch” with, to date, is Kasi Jilla. Kasi is a fine Parsi guy, looked the epitome of a Naval Officer, in his day, tall, dark & handsome, who, after he left the Royal Ceylon Navy, Captained his own Ship, around the World, until he retired, to live in Melbourne.

So, folks, my humble apologies for this “Intro” which is slightly larger than the original article sent into eLanka by yet another very good Burgher friend of mine, Victor Melder, who is a “walking encyclopaedia” on anything & everything to do with Sri Lanka. Please enjoy the story on the Parsi’s of Sri Lanka.

Desmond Kelly.

(Editor-in-Chief)—eLanka.

The Parsi’s of Sri Lanka

Source: Daily Financial Times, Tuesday, 21 May 2019

A small but vibrant community

Very few people today have heard of the Parsi community in Sri Lanka, because there are only about 60 in all including men, women and children. Although small in number, the contributions to our nation by this intriguing community throughout the years, have left an indelible mark in the history of Sri Lanka. They have produced eminent citizens, including a Government Minister, a Judge of the Supreme Court, barons of business and industry, high ranking military officials, media and educational personalities and philanthropists, among others.

Prominent Parsi families in Sri Lanka today are the Captain’s, Choksys, Khans, Billimorias, Pestonjees and Jillas. Their ancestors were originally from Persia, who later migrated to Gujarat in India. The Parsis are a very religious community who follow the Zoroastrian faith which is basically a monotheistic one, centred on the belief in the One True God whom they call Ahura Mazda or ‘Wise Lord’ in the Gathas of Prophet Zarathustra and his Great Maga Brotherhood.

The Parsis have made invaluable contributions to the economy and development of Sri Lanka. The Captains are a Parsi family who have long settled in this country. Sohli Captain owned Wellawatte Spinning and Weaving Mills and his son Rusi went into corporate investments. The Captains are well-known for their services to humanity. Sohli Captain developed Sri Lanka’s first Cancer Hospital, and his sister Perin Captain has contributed immensely to the Child Protection Society.

Another long established Parsi family in Sri Lanka were the Billimorias who established the Britannia Bakery in 1900. Homi Billimoria, a renowned architect who designed Mumtaz Mahal, the official residence of the Speaker of Parliament and Tintagel, which became the family home of the Bandaranaike family. The Khan family owned the Oil Mills in Colombo and built the famous Khan Clock Tower, a landmark in Pettah. The Jillas, another well-known Parsi family, established Colombo Dye Works. Homi Jilla became an army Physician, Kairshasp Jilla became a Naval officer, and Freddy Jilla served as a civil aviation officer.

The Pestonjee family arrived in Sri Lanka much later. Kaikobad Gandy was the father of Aban Pestonjee, the founder of the prestigious Abans Group. He was a marine engineer who sailed around the world and finally made Sri Lanka his home, which he called ‘the best place in the world’. In 1930 he was awarded a Distinguished Citizenship by S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike in recognition of his services to the country’s ports as Chief Engineer. His daughter Aban founded Abans Group, a business conglomerate that handles everything from hospitality and electronic goods, janitorial services to garbage disposal and keeping our streets clean.

“Sri Lanka is our home, we love this country, and our small community lives in peace and harmony with the people of this country, always looking for ways and means to contribute towards its development and prosperity,” said Aban Pestonjee.