Return to Main Site

Honouring Elders Initiative


Respect for elders is a keystone of Hindu culture. Honouring elders is a good thing. Your own honour comes from the respect that you show to your elders. If each person in whatever stage they are at in the cycle of life is to be wholly honoured and appreciated – our elders must be the first to be honoured.

 

Honouring our Elders Initiative.
We are pleased to open a new section - Honouring our Elders Initiative. This new section in our website is to recognise and pay tribute to the elders of our Parajiya Pattni community.

 

We start this section with Narabadaben Laljibhai Soni, aged 95 of Rajkot

 


Narabadaben Laljibhai Jakhya

Narabadaben Laljibhai Jakhya was born 95 years ago in Bhuj, Kutch. Her father’s name was Chatrabhai Kanji Chatpokhya and has four brothers and two sisters. She was very "ladki" (loving) to her father who used to lovingly call her "lakshmibai". She was very brave in her youth.

 

In India, women education never got its due share of attention. They had very limited opportunities to get proper education. Girls are supposed to fulfil domestic duties and education became secondary for them. The main reason for not sending girls to school was the poor economic condition. Narabadaben had just the nursery education ‘Balpothi’, yet she was able to read and write. Reading Ramayan and Geetaji was part of her daily routine. She was a devotee of Lord Krishna and Morpir Dada of Vidh.

 

Narabadaben’s father’s maternal grandmother (nanima) became sati. She was the seventh and the last satima in her family. Sati was the traditional Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre.

 

Narabadaben got married at the age of 15 to Laljibhai who lived in Vidh, Kutch. They were blessed with five sons and a daughter. She travelled extensively and was a popular figure in her family.  She did “16 Dhaam" yatra on the death of her mother-in-law.

 

Her husband Laljibhai passed away nine years ago. Although she is 95, her health is still perfect. She does not have any major illness, no memory loss, no teeth loss, no hearing loss and still able to walk and work!

 

At present she is happily living with her son Khimjibhai Soni and daughter Vasantben Soni in Rajkot

 

We pay our respect and honour Narabdaben in our website and are indeed proud to have such an elder in our community

 

- Editor

(Details provided by Tanay Mukeshbhai Soni (Challa) – maternal great grandson)

 

Families wishing to honour their elders are welcome to contact the editor by e-mail – PattniConnection@gmail.com