Dowla Dorab Irani

Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

Born :

Died :

Married : Faredoon Naoraj ( Naoji ) Irani

Children : No

Parents : Dorab & Golandoon Irani

Siblings : Piroja ( Pila Masi ), Shireen ( Shireenmai ), Rustom, Dinshaw, Banu

 

Nationality : Indian

 

aka : Dowla Masa

She was the oldest daughter

 

They raised Meher Baba's oldest brother Jamshed, because his mother was too young.

 

 

Courtesy pf Lord Meher
Courtesy pf Lord Meher

 

Memoir of Mehera J. Irani


Now we go back a little to the time in 1922 when I first saw Baba in Sakori. Baba's aunt, Dowla Masi (Shireenmai's sister), also visited Upasni Maharaj's ashram while we were there. On seeing my sister, who was then nineteen years old, she asked my mother if she wanted her elder daughter to be married. Dowla Masi had in mind Rustom Kaikhushru Irani (Gulmai's son and Adi K. Irani's brother), from Ahmednagar. My mother asked her, "Is he following this path?" by which she meant was he spiritually inclined.

"He is a Baba-lover and a fine person. If you see the boy you will like him. He is in Bombay with Baba in Manzil-e-Meem," Dowla Masi told my mother. "It will be a very nice match for Piroja. These Iranis are a very good family and are well respected in Ahmednagar."

Then my mother felt very happy with the match. So she and Dowla Masi went to Upasni Maharaj who, on being asked, was also quite pleased with it. He allowed the three of them, my mother, Piroja, and Dowla Masi to go to Bombay to discuss the matter with Baba in Manzil-e-Meem, while I stayed on at Sakori.

At Manzil-e-Meem they greeted Baba and had His darshan. After being told, Baba was also agreeable to the match.

"Call Rustom," He said, "they must see each other."

So Rustom and Piroja met each other and agreed to marry. In early March 1923 my sister's engagement to Rustom was held in Manzil-e-Meem in Baba's presence. Up till then my sister's name had been Piroja, but at Manzil-e-Meem Baba changed it to Freni. Baba had had a younger sister called Freni whom He had dearly loved, but she had died when she was still a child. Now Baba said to my sister, "I loved My sister Freni very much, and I give you her name, Freni." And so from that day my sister was called Freni.

 

http://www.avatarmeherbaba.org/erics/birdseye.html

 

 

Image colourized by Anthony Zois
Image colourized by Anthony Zois
Courtesy of Lord Meher
Courtesy of Lord Meher
 Dorab Irani Descendants Tree. Graphics created by Anthony Zois.
Dorab Irani Descendants Tree. Graphics created by Anthony Zois.