| About Keki : |
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The renowned R. C. contractor
of Mumbai (Bombay) who had built Victoria Terminal (Chatrapati Shivaji
Terminal – Central Railway station) married his sister Piroja with
Manekji Framji Moos who belonged to a middle class Parisian family.
Mrs. Piroja Moos gave birth to a male child on 2nd Oct.
1912 at Mumbai. He was named
‘Kaikhusru’ (name of Parisian goddess). His mother lovingly
called him ‘keki’ by his pet name.
In 1920 keki’s family came to Chalisgaon (a small village
of Jalgaon district in Maharashtra state) and started a soda bottle
factory & wine shop.
Little Keki didn’t like Chalisgaon so his father sent him
back to Mumbai.
The Handsome, Curly-haired, an extremely quiet & peaceful
Keki after his primary education, he has done his graduation in
the 1st class from Wilson collage, Mumbai. Keki wasn’t at all interested in his uncle’s construction business. He wanted to become an artist. But his father called him back to Chalisgaon once again. As he had a property & liquor shop at Chalisgaon & there was no one to look after it. His father expired in between 1934-35, his mama (mother) had appoint a man to look after the shop and granted a permission to Keki to do his further education. Maharashtra
state board for literature & culture, Mumbai published (1983)
a book on Keki & his photography ‘KEKI MOOS – LIFE AND STILL
LIFE’. India’s well known personalities
like – Late. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (Primeminister of India), Baba
Amte(social worker & follower of Vinoba Bhave, Late.Jaiprakesh
Narayan, Shankar Rao Dev. Late. Sane Guruji (Pandurang Sadashiv
Sane). Pt. Mahadev shastri Joshi. Maharshi Anna Saheb Karve, Narayan
Hari Aapte (writter) Prof. N. S. Phadke, shri M. Mate, Acharya
Atre,
Vasant Shantaram Desai etc. visited Keki’s museum.
Keki was too much influenced by Rembradt V. He translated
his story of life & art in Marathi & Gujarati. He changed
the name of his Bungalow as ‘Rembradt Retreat’ in place of ‘Ashirwad’.
He was interested in music. He had collected many types of
cassettes & gramophone records.
He was an excellent sitar player. He had his teaching from
Ustad Din Mohommed Khan, Pandit Feroz, Farronji, prof. Nasir Khan,
Shri Haribhau Varangaonkar.
He was also fond of collecting books & made library of
own. He had collected near about 4000 books. He had a good collection
of books of poems of various poets. Keki loved poetry. He was a
fan of Urdu poem. He had written ‘when I shed my tears’, which was
unpublished autobiography. He
had collected art pieces of other artists, woodcarvings, statues
& antiques, bone china utensils, rare old crockery, toys, old
furniture, coins. This sun of art &
photography had set on 31st Dec. 1989 at near about 11.00
am in his house.
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