A chance meeting with this 82 year old Octogenarian, was a fascinating odyssey, like unfolding the pages of history of Powai. He is BHUPENDRA GAMBHIR staying in Hiranandani Gardens. Standing upright at this age without any ailment he keeps himself agile and engrossed in work. The freckles on his face and lines on forehead speak volumes of the rough weather he has stormed from the days in Rawalpindi, Pakistan to Powai, as we speak to him in his palatial house at 'Gambhir Villa' facing the Powai Lake today.

In fact the modernisation and transformation of Powai has been replete with migrants settling here and fueling its growth whether it was the Gambhirs, Sharmas, Shahs, Dharias or Hiranandanis they all have been either Punjabi, Rajasthani, Gujarati or Sindhi. Bhupendra Gambhir came to Powai in 1947 at the time of India's Independence along-with his maternal Uncle Lajpat Rai Verma who was a Freedom Fighter. With Lajpat Rai came a few of his Gujarati comrades who were with him during Freedom Struggle to settle in this piece of land. Powai during those days was a marshy jungle with tall grass, at places, undulating and rocky, a barren piece of useless land falling in Thane District outside the city limit of Bombay Presidency.

Some seven early settlers formed a Company "Annapurna Farms" with intent to cultivate this land of 247 acres bought from Sir Mohammed Yunus. Bhupendra Gambhir had a major role in this Company as he was the managing hand for all Govt liaison, taxation, municipal bills etc. They toiled hard and levelled the land between the main road and 'Eden' of present day for cultivating Banana and vegetables. Income was measely those days and could barely eke out expenses. The area was wild, infested with snakes. Wild boar and leopards added colour to the landscape those days. A major cyclone in 1949 devastated all the plantation and was a sever blow to them. Thereafter, they started cropping fodder grass for Aarey Milk. Then in 1956 with the efforts of Amrit Lal Seth the Landlord of Chandivili and State Agriculture Department they got encouraged to cultivate paddy in Japanese method of rows. This gave them a good income for the first time and it became a way life for this Community of Powai. All throughout Bhupendra was the anchor for managing and giving thrust to early settling activity in 'Annapurna Farms'. By early sixties Powai came within the city limits of Bombay. Our enterprising Government by then realised to tax the agricultural income and also forced an IT Tribunal on them. Bupendra Gambhir told the IT Commissioner during the income tax tribunal that agricultural income of land within city limits is not taxable, to his awakening.

Bhupendra was quite meticulous and adept in official records, accounting, Govt procedures and local liaison. It was his foresight and rapport with people around, that they could stir their fate always in right direction. By early eighties with Urban Land Ceiling Act being passed, their vast agricultural land started getting acquired by the Govt and in the first phase the stretch along the road from L & T to Panchkutir went to Govt where stands today MHADA Flats. Mid eighties - enters Hiranandani Construction who bought large areas from them for his Projects. Hiranandani's fate got a kick start during 1985. Permission was granted by State Govt for Residential Projects by changing the land use pattern. After this all of us are familiar about the development. Hiranandani Garden is built on land bought from Sharmas and 'Annapurna Farms' Directors to become the site for 'This Modern Township'.

Today, at this ripe age Bhupendra Gambhir exemplifies the typical Punjabi spirit of enterprise and toil. Once Khushwant Singh the noted writer and Rajya Sabha Member visited the Farm alongwith the President later remarked in an article on Bhupendra Gambhir "Chattano ka seena phar key Punjabi ney kheti ki hai" (A Punjabi has done agriculture breaking the chest of rocks). He feels contented looking back at life's struggle and takes pride to have contributed to the early development of Powai. He has three sons Amar, Deepak and Sandeep all settled in Business. His three daughters are also well settled. MISSION FULFILLED.

PLANET POWAI asked him a few questions :

Q1. How do you like being in Powai now ?
Ans. Not all that fine, I find it is getting crowded and commercialised. I like open places. I have developed a Farm in Karjat and go there often to spend time.

Q2. How do you foresee 'Powai' in the next ten yrs?
Ans. It is emerging as the fastest growing part of Mumbai. The lake is a big benefactor to this area. With the MUTP Project, once the road is done from L&T to Eastern Express Highway it would boom further.

Q3 Do you yearn for your days in Rawalpindi ?
Ans. Very much, I left Pakistan with my family when I was just 25 yrs. I very much would like to visit Rawalpindi once, but alas !