![Hathi Singh Jain Temple 82](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Hathi_Singh_Jain_Temple_82.jpg)
The Hutheesing family ( gu, હઠીસિંહ ) is a
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
family from
Ahmedabad,
Gujarat, India
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
. Several temples and charitable institutions in Ahmedabad have been built or founded by members of this mercantile family.
Krishna Hutheesing
Krishna Nehru Hutheesing (2 November 1907 – 9 November 1967) was an Indian writer, the youngest sister of Jawaharlal Nehru and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, and part of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
Biography
Born Krishna Nehru, in Mirganj, Allahaba ...
, a sister of
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
, was a member of this family by marriage.
History
The family has a known history of over 250 years. In the mid-1700s, the
Mughal empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
was in decline, rebellions were breaking out in several places, and general lawlessness prevailed in much of northern India. The traditional trade routes between northern India and central Asia were unworkable. Meanwhile, the European powers had established their trading interests on the coast, and this presented a lucrative and safe business opportunity. To meet the changing dynamics of the era, some members of the
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
trading community moved from
Osian in the
Marwar
Marwar (also called Jodhpur region) is a region of western Rajasthan state in North Western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. The word 'maru' is Sanskrit for desert. In Rajasthani languages, "wad" means a particular area. English tra ...
region of
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
to
Khambhat
Khambhat (, ), also known as Cambay, is a city and the surrounding urban agglomeration in Anand district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once an important trading center, but its harbour gradually silted up, and the maritime trade moved ...
(Cambay) in
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, which was at that time a major port city and a center of the European trade. The progenitors of the Hutheesing family were among the immigrants.
Initially, the wealthy and industrious immigrants were not unwelcome. They ingratiated themselves with the
Mughal-appointed governors of Khambhat and prospered to the extent that they soon became the owners of a few ships that sailed abroad for trade. However, the group from
Osian became involved in certain intrigues and the Mughal authorities consequently confiscated their ships. They also lost the goodwill of the local authorities and were unable to carry on their trade in the atmosphere of suspicion and hostility. Ultimately, they abandoned direct involvement with international trade and moved inland to the large trading city of
Ahmedabad, which was ruled by a rival (albeit Mughal-appointed) satrap. Here they became prosperous traders.
Sheth Hutheesing
In Ahmedabad, the community prospered in trade. Perhaps the most prosperous trader among them was Hutheesing, son of Kesarising, who amassed a colossal fortune. Hutheesing was the grandson of one of the men who emigrated from
Osian to
Khambhat
Khambhat (, ), also known as Cambay, is a city and the surrounding urban agglomeration in Anand district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once an important trading center, but its harbour gradually silted up, and the maritime trade moved ...
and then to
Ahmedabad. He lived during the first half of the 19th century. His descendants (both adopted and biological) took his first name as their surname and came to be known as the "Hutheesing family".
Hutheesing Kesarising was married three times but neither his first wife nor his second wife produced a living male heir, although there were at least two living daughters and one boy who lived to the age of five, besides some miscarriages and other infant deaths. His third wife (who was much younger than him) produced no child at all for several years after their marriage. This third wife was named Harkunwar and she hailed from the village of
Ghogha
Ghogha is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is situated on the mid-western bank of the Gulf of Khambhat. It was an important historical commercial port on the Arabian Sea until the development of nearby Bha ...
near
Bhavnagar. The two daughters were married at a young age, per the custom of that era, and sent away to live in their marital homes. Thereafter, in keeping with Indian tradition, the couple adopted the three sons of Hutheesing's brother, Dolabhai. The boys were named Jaisingbhai, Maganbhai and Mulchandbhai. Ironically, within a couple of years after the adoptions, Harkunwar finally became pregnant and gave birth to a son, whom they named Umabhai.
According to Jain custom and society, their biological son was treated just like his adopted brothers; before his death, Hutheesing portioned out his wealth in equal measure to all his sons, and at his death, it was the eldest adopted boy, Jaising, who officiated at his funeral as his eldest son.
Harkunwar Bai and Descendants
After the death of Seth Hutheesing, his sons carried on the family's trading business harmoniously, while his wife, Harkunwar Bai, devoted herself to prayer and charities. The entire family continued to
live together
"Live Together" is a song recorded by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield for her debut album, ''Affection'' (1989). It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. It was releas ...
in their palatial residence, ''Hutheesing-ni-Vadi.'' This was a massive ''haveli'' (Indian-style mansion-with-courtyards) built by Huteesing just outside the gates of the old walled city of
Amedabad
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per th ...
. The mansion stood within a large compound, which contained walled gardens, an orchard,
mews
A mews is a row or courtyard of stables and carriage houses with living quarters above them, built behind large city houses before motor vehicles replaced horses in the early twentieth century. Mews are usually located in desirable residential ...
and small houses for servants and dependents.
Hutheesing had intended to build a grand Jain temple within this compound. Before his death, Hutheesing and Harkunwar had performed the required religious ceremonies and jointly laid the symbolic "first stone" of the temple. Hutheesing had finalized the layout and plan of the temple and was in the process of arranging finances and engaging craftsmen. The task of bringing his pious dream to fruition fell upon Harkunwar and her sons. It was Harkunwar who supervised the construction of the 52-Jinalaya
Hutheesing Jain Temple
Hutheesing Temple is a Jain temple in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India. It was constructed in 1848 by Hutheesing family. The temple blends the old Maru-Gurjara temple architecture style with new architectural elements of ''haveli'' in its design.
...
within the compound of her house. The temple took several years to be built. It is constructed of stone in the traditional way, without steel, cement or mortar. It is richly ornamented with intricate and beautiful stone carvings and is now regarded as one of the architectural treasures of the city. It houses 238 stone images, 83 metal images and 21 ''yantras.'' The ''Pratishtha'' (consecration) of the temple was conducted by Shantisagar Suri, a famous saint. The festivities were attended by as many as 400,000 people.
When the construction of the Hutheesing Jain temple was nearing completion, and preparations were afoot for its grand consecration, the need was felt for a suitable
Dharamshala
Dharamshala (; also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, India. It serves as administrative headquarters of the Kangra district after being relocated from Kangra, a city located away from Dharamshala, in 1855.
The ...
to accommodate the expected visitors. It occurred to Harkunwar Bai that a ''Derasar'' or Jain monastery should be built, which would accommodate the visitors in the first instance and then serve as a center of the
Jain faith
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
for all time to come. she decided to build a ''Derasar,'' or
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
monastery in the city. The presence of such an institution would add luster and virtue to the beauty of the temple. She mentioned her wishes to her sons, and they readily agreed that it was an excellent idea, and the ''Dharmanath Derasar'' was duly built and endowed by them, and its consecration was held a couple of days before the consecration of the temple. The ''Derasar'' is situated in the Nisha Pol precinct of
Ahmedabad, in the near vicinity of the Hutheesing temple.
Harkunvar Bai, who had been much younger than her husband, lived to old age. After the death of her husband, as a pious Indian widow, she wore only plain white cotton
saree
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std= ...
s for the rest of her life, entirely gave up all jewelry and ornamentation, and spent a large portion of her waking hours in prayer. She later built two further temples, on a smaller scale, within one kilometer from her house in Ahmedabad. These are the ''Sambhavnath'' and ''Chintamani Parshvanath'' temples in the Zaveriwad neighbourhood of
Ahmedabad. She commissioned the construction of a ''Gaushala'' or animal shelter for aged cattle and other animals. She constructed ''Piaos'' and ''Sada-varta'' shelters near certain Jain temples, where basic food, cool water and a shady shelter were provided free to pilgrims and devotees. She constructed and endowed a ''
Dharamshala
Dharamshala (; also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, India. It serves as administrative headquarters of the Kangra district after being relocated from Kangra, a city located away from Dharamshala, in 1855.
The ...
,'' or free pilgrims' inn, at
Samet Shikhar, a center of Jain pilgrimage located in distant
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
. She organized and funded pilgrimages for poor Jain families of Ahmedabad to travel to
Samet Shikhar. She donated funds towards building the
Ahmedabad Civil Hospital
Ahmedabad Civil Hospital is a public hospital located in Ahmedabad, India, with facilities for specialised diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative patient care. The hospital campus spans of land and houses the Gujarat Medical Council and Gu ...
. She also built a school for girls—the Maganlal Karamchand Girls' School in Ahmedabad, when the general public was still not in favor of female education. Her pious charities, good works and personal austerity made her a figure of veneration among the people of Ahmedabad.
The family trade included wooden furniture in association with
Lockwood de Forest, which was a rage in the US then, and kundan jewellery to Tiffany's in the US.
![Brooklynmuseum2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Brooklynmuseum2009.72_PS6.jpg)
Ahmedabad Wood Carving Company was set up in 1881 by an American interior decorator,
Lockwood de Forest, in association with Maganbhai Hutheesing to export wooden furniture, carved doors, cabinets, picture frames etc.
The family became known for its marital alliances. They are related to the
Kasturbhai Lalbhai
Kasturbhai Lalbhai (19 December 1894 – 20 January 1980) was an Indian industrialist and philanthropist. He co-founded the Arvind Mills along with his brothers and several other institutes. He was a cofounder of the Ahmadabad Education Soci ...
family as well as
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
.
Krishna Nehru Hutheesing was married to Gunottam P. Hutheesing, (nicknamed Raja).
Purushottam Hutheesing's other son Surottam P. Hutheesing was a noted industrialist and served as Chairman of
Ahmedabad Textile Mill's Association
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per th ...
's President for year 1954-55. He was first to invite noted architect,
Le Corbusier to India, who later did many works in India. The
Mill Owners' Association Building
Mill Owners’ Association Building, also known as Ahmedabad Textile Mill Owners' Association House (ATMA House), is a modern architecture building in Ahmedabad, India designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier.
History
Le Corbusier came ...
and
Villa Shodhan
Villa Shodhan (or Shodhan House) is a modernist villa located in Ahmedabad, India. Designed by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier, it was built between 1951 and 1956. Building on his previous projects whilst integrating the traditional features o ...
were the works assigned to him by
Surottam Hutheesing
The Hutheesing family ( gu, હઠીસિંહ ) is a Jain family from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Several temples and charitable institutions in Ahmedabad have been built or founded by members of this mercantile family. Krishna Hutheesing, a ...
Ahmedabad's main art venue, Leila & Purushottam Hutheesing Visual Art Centre, as well as the Purshottambhai Maganbhai & Leila P Hutheesing Public Charitable Trust is named after Maganbhai's son Purshottambhai. He was married to Leila (Dahiben), the daughter of
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai, and the sister of
Kasturbhai Lalbhai
Kasturbhai Lalbhai (19 December 1894 – 20 January 1980) was an Indian industrialist and philanthropist. He co-founded the Arvind Mills along with his brothers and several other institutes. He was a cofounder of the Ahmadabad Education Soci ...
. Purushottam Hutheesing's son Gunottam was married to
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
's sister
Krishna Nehru Hutheesing. But in 1946 Raja Gunottam Hutheesing (INC) lost his first electoral bid for the Nagpada-Kamathipura BMC election constituency to an independent
Linganna Pujari (1914-1999). Pujari subsequently joined the Congress Party in 1947 at
Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
ji's invitation.
Gunottam's sister Shrimati was married to
Saumyendranath Tagore
Saumyendranath Tagore (October 8, 1901 – September 22, 1974), son of Sudhindranath Tagore, grandson of Dwijendranath Tagore, and grand-nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, was the leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party of India, and the first tr ...
, a grandnephew of
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...
. Shrimati had studied at
Shantiniketan
Santiniketan is a neighbourhood of Bolpur town in the Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in West Bengal, India, approximately 152 km north of Kolkata. It was established by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore, and later expanded by his s ...
and had remained associated with it. Saumendranath Tagore became one of the founders of the
Communist movement in India.
Rajiv Gandhi, later a
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
of India, was born in Mumbai at the home of his uncle and aunt, Gunottam (Raja) and Krishna Hutheesing, while his parents were guests at their home located at 20 Carmichael Road in Bombay.
[Mahatma Gandhi, Collected Works/Volume 88/Letter To Gunottam Hutheesing (5 October 1945)
http://ltrc.iiit.ac.in/gwiki/index.php/Collected_Works/Volume_88/Letter_To_Gunottam_Hutheesing_(5th_October_1945)]
Ajit Hutheesing (1936–2017), a son of Gunottam, also lived in the home and spent many years living with Nehru in his home in Delhi. He later migrated to the US in the early 1960s and became one of the first Indians on Wall Street when he started his investment banking career. He was married to the American violinist
Helen Armstrong from 1996 till her demise in 2006. He had three sons, Nikhil, Vivek and
Ravi, and three grandchildren, Kirin Hutheesing, Remy Hutheesing and Mirai Hutheesing.
Family tree
* Kesarising married Surajba
** Dolabhai Kesarising
** Hatheesing Kesarising, married Harkunwar and two others
*** Three adopted sons: Jaisingbhai, Maganbhai and Mulchandbhai from his brother Dolabhai; Umabhai from Harkunwar
****Maganlal Hutheesing, had son Purushottam Hutheesing
*****Purushottam Hutheesing married Leila (Dahiben), the daughter of
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai and Mohini, and the sister of
Kasturbhai Lalbhai
Kasturbhai Lalbhai (19 December 1894 – 20 January 1980) was an Indian industrialist and philanthropist. He co-founded the Arvind Mills along with his brothers and several other institutes. He was a cofounder of the Ahmadabad Education Soci ...
; had two sons: Surottam and Gunottam (Raja), and a daughter Shrimati
******Sarvottam Hutheesing had two sons Deepak & Janak & three daughters
*******Deepak Hutheesing, married Daksha and had a son Umang & daughter Urvi
*********Janak Hutheesing married Nina and had one son Shaum who was named after Shaumyendranath Tagore
******Gunottam (Raja) Hutheesing married
Krishna Nehru (1907–1967), daughter of
Motilal Nehru
Motilal Nehru (6 May 1861 – 6 February 1931) was an Indian lawyer, activist and politician belonging to the Indian National Congress. He also served as the Congress President twice, 1919–1920 and 1928–1929. He was a patriarch of the Neh ...
and
Swarup Rani Nehru, ''See
Nehru-Gandhi family;'' Had two sons: Harsha and Ajit
*******Harsha Hutheesing
*******
Ajit Hutheesing (1936-2017) married Amrita Nigam (m. 1960 - div. 1987) (three sons Nikhil, Vivek and
Ravi Hutheesing (born 1971)); married
Helen Armstrong (m. 1996 - died 2006) (His stepchildren Debbie Howser and son David Cohen).
********Ajit's children: Nikhil, Vivek and
Ravi Hutheesing; Ajit's stepchildren: Debbie Howser and son David Cohen
*********Ajit's grandchildren: Kirin Hutheesing, Remy Hutheesing and Mirai Hutheesing
******Shrimati married
Saumyendranath Tagore
Saumyendranath Tagore (October 8, 1901 – September 22, 1974), son of Sudhindranath Tagore, grandson of Dwijendranath Tagore, and grand-nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, was the leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party of India, and the first tr ...
, a nephew of
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...
, ''See
Tagore family
The Tagore family (also spelled as ''Thakur''), with over three hundred years of history,Deb, Chitra, pp 64–65. has been one of the leading families of Calcutta, India, and is regarded as one of the key influencers during the Bengali Renaissa ...
''.
See also
*
Ajit Hutheesing
*
Ravi Hutheesing
*
Villa Shodhan
Villa Shodhan (or Shodhan House) is a modernist villa located in Ahmedabad, India. Designed by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier, it was built between 1951 and 1956. Building on his previous projects whilst integrating the traditional features o ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Hutheesing Family Website maintained by Umang Hutheesing
Business families of India
Jain families
People from Ahmedabad
Gujarati people