Prayer meeting held in Harrow for Ratan Tata

A PRAYER meeting was held at the Zoroastrian Centre in Harrow, London, on Friday (11), to honour the late Padma Vibhushan Ratan Naval Tata, who passed away on 8 October at the age of 86.

Ratan Tata, former chairman of the Tata Group, was widely recognised for transforming the group into a global business powerhouse and for his contributions to philanthropy and industry.

The Uthamna, or third-day Zoroastrian prayers, were conducted by three priests: Metropolitan Police superintendent Zubin P Writer, Ervad Yazad T Bhadha, and Ervad Zubin R Bhedwar. Lord Karan Bilimoria, patron of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), led the meeting and shared his reflections on Tata, with whom he had worked since 2002.

Bilimoria recalled Tata’s resilience during the 2008 global financial crisis, quoting his words: “We shall do it by ourselves and I know we can do it,” reflecting his determination to lead Tata Group through difficult times.

Mehernavaz Avari, UK area director of the Indian Hotels Company, also paid tribute, reflecting on her personal interactions with Tata during her 24 years with the company.

The prayer meeting was attended by Tata employees, past and present, as well as dignitaries including Lakshmi Narayan, first secretary at the Indian High Commission, and local leaders from the London Borough of Harrow.

ZTFE president Malcolm M Deboo spoke about the long-standing ties between the Tata family and the ZTFE, noting that several members of the Tata family, including the founder Jamshedji Tata, are buried in the ZTFE cemetery in Surrey.

Leaders from various faiths also attended the gathering to pay their respects to Tata, who was praised for his global contributions to business and his philanthropic efforts.