HOMAGE TO ABBAS CURRIMJEE
It was through a late-night call I received from my nephew in charge of the operation theatre of a top London Hospital that I learned that Abbas Currimjee was admitted there for a serious surgery. Abbas was his usual self at the end of the line. I could visualise his smiling face when he was telling me that his treating surgeon was a real pro and a friend. Besides, he was Abbas’s guest in Mauritius after his convalescence. Unfortunately, he was not totally cured and had to go to UK again for a second treatment after which he never recovered.
Abbi, as his loved ones called him, was proud of his family, his illustrious father, Abdullah Seth, a fixture in the community, whose generosity was proverbial and next came his eldest brother Carrim whose opinion and approval he sought for many steps he would make in life. [he needed the nod of the family to buy the land in Grand Bay to build his residence].
The passing of this architect offers me a moment to reflect on his legacy, revisiting the impact of his work on the promotion of our island as tourist destination. The departed was a co-founder of ZAC associates with his cousin, Zulfi, his next-door neighbour and partner. His firm has designed the harbour water front. I was present when he made a power point presentation of his concept of what is today the “incontournable” rendezvous of most tourists visiting our island. What stroke me at that time was his idea of planting giant palm trees on this esplanade ……….he had received guarantees from Wahad Owadally, the then conservator of forests that the trees which grew in the wild would definitely take roots in their new environment.
Abbas was more than just an architect; he was also a man of warmth and generosity. He could spend hours talking to close friends about philosophy, society, education, and inventions.” He had his heart on his sleeves as well. He spent a fortune to build an Aryuvedic hospital in India with a view to give this alternative treatment a chance to reach larger number of clients.
He was interested in the work of Alif Society and offered on discounted rates his Carri Poule Restaurant to organise our socials. When a high-level University delegation visited Mauritius as guest of Alif Society, he came forward with an offer. He threw a candle light dinner in honour of the Vice Chancellor and his colleagues on his lawn by the beach in Grand Bay.
Abbas is leaving behind a lasting legacy in the built environment and I wonder if all those souls that tread the water front today will ever reflect on the role of its creator in bequeathing to us his piece of Art. Whether they do or they don’t, I would however express my gratitude for his professional excellence and his dedication to humanity and to nature and say “thank you Bhye Abbas”. May Allah swt grant you Jannat ul Firduas and sabr to your numerous family members and a multitude of anonymous admirers.