The Beach Parties of Tanzania

The Beach Parties of Tanzania
My parents at the Beach Disco in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, East Africa. December 1973

My parents at the Beach Disco in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, East Africa. December 1973 Image and Narrative contributed by Sheetal Sudhir, Mumbai "These were the happiest days" say my mom, Sandhya (nee Parina) and dad, Sudhir Ramachandran, a photographer. This picture was taken at a beach disco in Dar-es-salaam called Bahari Beach Hotel. These were times of the early 70s floral hippy patterns and elephant pants combined with an Elvis spillover from the late 60s. My dad recalls that they had just finished an engrossing session of 'soul' dancing and were moving to the beach to relax and then a friend clicked this picture, with dad's very first Hasselblad camera and a large Metz flash! My mom, a Gujarati Muslim and my dad, a Malyali, got married in Tanzania and then moved to Bangalore, India in 1975. I was born in 1976. Lately, they have been visiting Dar-es-salaam more often to see my maternal grandmother, and my uncles & aunts. In my father's own words, whenever he sees this photograph, he is in "His fav town with his fav girl...and those were the days!!"

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The Sindhi Ladies Association

The Sindhi Ladies Association
The Sindhi Ladies Club Committee, Sri Lanka. 1951

The Sindhi Ladies Club Committee, Sri Lanka. 1951 Image and Narrative contributed by Sunder Mirchandani Colombo consisted of a small Sindhi Community - they were mainly traders/shopkeepers, who lived there since the 1940s. My mother, Sita Mirchandani (second from right) was a founding member and a secretary in the committee. All meetings were occasions to dress up and show off their latest saris, fashion and styles. Fourth from left stands Kamala Hirdaramani  (President) –  proudly displaying a then in style purse.

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A blind date

A blind date
My wedding, Calcutta, West Bengal. 1969

My wedding, Calcutta, West Bengal. 1969 Image and Narrative contributed by Lata Bhasin, New Delhi I met my husband Anil Bhasin, a business man, on a Blind date in 1966. We got married three years later. We lived in Calcutta a while, had two daughters and then moved to Delhi in 1985. 'Bouffants' hair dos were in great style then, and all of us friends would keep up with trends. Most of our friends moved to other countries, after their respective marriages.

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An epitome of style and sophistication

An epitome of style and sophistication
My mother (center) Maya Shivdasani, with her parents, Dr Manghanmal Kripalani, an eminent physician and Sarsati Kripalani, Hyderabad Sind, 1939

My mother (center) Maya Shivdasani, with her parents, Dr Manghanmal Kripalani, and Sarsati Kripalani, Hyderabad, Sindh (now Pakistan). 1939 Image and Narrative contributed by Usha Bhandarkar My mother Maya Shivdasani is now 90 year old of age. She was born in Hyderabad Sind in 1919 and came to Bombay after her marriage in 1937. After her marriage in 1937 Maya moved to Bombay but would visit her parents in Hyderabad Sind (Now Pakistan) at least twice a year. This photograph was taken on one of her visits to Hyderabad where she was the epitome of style and sophistication: sleeveless sari blouse, short hair, long, painted fingernails. Her father Manghanmal Kripalani was an eminent physician. She has lived in Cuffe Parade all these 73 years, read the Times of India every single day and visits the Cricket Club of India once a week. One of her favourite haunts is the Sea Lounge at the Taj Mahal Hotel. She was truly saddened to see it damaged in the Mumbai attacks of 2008. On the day the Sea Lounge reopened she was there sitting at a window table, sipping their wonderful Viennoise Coffee.

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India’s first Kodak couple

India’s first Kodak couple
My great-great grandparents, Sarala and Dr. PK Roy. Calcutta, West Bengal. Circa 1880

My great-great grandparents, Sarala and Dr. PK Roy. Calcutta, West Bengal. Circa 1880 Image and Narrative contributed by Chetan Roy, UK This photo was used by Kodak India for an Ad campaign in the early 1980s. Sarala Roy was an educationist and is remembered as the founder of the Gokhale Memorial School at Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal. She belonged to the famous Das family of Telirbagh, Dhaka, now in Bangladesh. She was also a member of Calcutta University’s senate and also one of the leaders of the All-India Women’s Conference. The conference was founded in 1927 under the leadership of Margaret Cousins but was soon completely run by Indian women. It was the most important women’s organisation of its time. She devoted her life to the cause of women’s education and also established a Girl’s school & a Women's organization in Dhaka, while living there with her husband. Rabindranath Tagore composed the dance-drama Mayar Khela at her request.   Prasanna Kumar Roy (1849-1932) was a well-known educationist and the first Indian to be principal of Presidency College, Calcutta. He was attracted towards the Brahmo Samaj early in life he was turned out of his home. However, he won the Gilchrist Scholarship to go to England. He graduated from the University of London in 1873. He was awarded the D.Sc. degree in Psychology from the University of Edinburgh and the University of London in 1876. He and Ananda Mohan Bose got together to establish a Brahmo Samaji Indian Association and a library in the UK. He was posted to England for two years as Education Assistant to the Secretary for India.

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