Gulestan Rustom Billimoria was an Indian philanthropist, social worker, writer and painter, best known for her services for the
special needs
In clinical diagnostic and functional development, special needs (or additional needs) refers to individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. Guidelines for clinical diagnosis are given in ...
children of Mumbai.
She served as the
Sheriff of Mumbai
The Sheriff of Bombay is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Bombay.
The Sheriff is an officer of the High Court and the nominal Head of the High Court Department which carries out the ord ...
in 1957
and was the lady superintendent of The Alexandra Girls’ English Institution, Mumbai from 1922 to 1937.
Born Gulestan J. Bhadurjee, Billimoria did her schooling at
Girton High School
Girton High School is a private school for girls in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was established in 1888.
Notable alumni
* Gulestan Rustom Billimoria
Gulestan Rustom Billimoria was an Indian philanthropist, social worker, writer and paint ...
and college studies at
St. Xavier's College, Mumbai
St. Xavier's College is a private, Catholic, autonomous higher education institution run by the
Bombay Province of the Society of Jesus in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was founded by the Jesuits on January 2, 1869. The college is affil ...
during which period she was a fellow of the
University of Mumbai for two terms and a member of the university senate.
After her marriage to
Rustomji Bomanji Billimoria
Rustomji Bomanji Billimoria was an Indian physician, social worker, and the founder of ''Bel-Air Hospital'', a tuberculosis sanatorium at Panchgani, a hill station in Maharashtra. Born on 13 May 1882 in Mumbai to Bomanji Jamshedji Billimoria as th ...
, the founder of Bel-Air Hospital of
Indian Red Cross Society and a
Padma Bhushan recipient, she took over the management of the functions of the hospital.
Later, she helped found the Savera Special School Gulestan And Billimoria School, Mumbai of the Maharashtra State Women's Council, an institution for the mentally and physically handicapped children.
Billimoria was a known painter and one of her paintings has been exhibited at the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai (present-day
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
She also wrote a number of articles on special needs children.
The
Government of India awarded her the
Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in 1972.
''Gulestan and Rustom Billimoria Endowment Lecture'' is an annual event organized in her honor.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work
Indian women essayists
Social workers
Indian philanthropists
Year of birth missing
Year of death missing
Sheriffs of Mumbai
St. Xavier's College, Mumbai alumni
Painters from Maharashtra
Writers from Mumbai
Social workers from Maharashtra
Scholars from Mumbai
Women writers from Maharashtra
20th-century Indian women writers
20th-century Indian essayists
Women educators from Maharashtra
Indian women painters
20th-century Indian painters
20th-century Indian women artists
Women artists from Maharashtra
Parsi people from Mumbai
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