Died: Byram Dinshaw Avari, 81, chairman of the Avari Group and the Karachi Parsi Anjuman Trust Fund (KPATF); on January 22, 2023 in Karachi following complications arising from perforation of his colon.
Friendly and approachable, Avari is known to have used his influential position and contacts to aid those in distress. In fact, "Baba,” the pet name used to address him as a child, continued till the end for the amiable and unassuming hotelier. Respected as the "grand daddy of the Parsi community in Karachi,” during the three decades he served as chairman of the Anjuman, Avari ensured that the community assets, institutions and ethos were safeguarded while adapting to the changing scenario.
On familiar terms with presidents, prime ministers and other political dignitaries, the tributes paid by some of them were carried in the city dailies and reported on news channels. Former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari described him as a leading businessman who had done his best to serve the country. A humble human being, his work for the country and for his community will always be remembered, commented the chief minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah. Avari had played a major role in promoting the Pakistani hotel industry and rendering humanitarian service to his countrymen, commented Sindh governor Kamran Khan Tessori.
Byram Avari
Clockwise from top: Beach Luxury Hotel, Avari Towers and Avari Lahore
It was on the passing away of his father Dinshaw in 1988 that Byram took over the reins of the hotel business and established the Avari empire with an eye on international expansion. In addition to the Beach Luxury Hotel and Avari Towers, both in Karachi, and Avari Lahore that the family owned, there are a slew of hotel properties that they managed in several cities in Pakistan, Dubai and even Toronto. Byram was close to his sons and business partners Dinshaw and Xerxes, respecting their opinions and encouraging independent thinking.
Even when the hospitality industry was facing a rough time due to political upheavals or the pandemic, "as a policy we never terminated any of our staff, supervisors and executives,” reported Byram. "Three thousand staff have been sent home (due to Covid) but for the last four months we have been giving full pay,” Byram had written to Parsiana (see "Largesse during lockdown,” Parsiana July 21-August 6, 2020). In fact, whenever Parsiana needed clarifications regarding community matters in Karachi and sought an explanation from Byram, we could be sure of a prompt response despite his multifarious commitments.
"It is a prestige and honor to do something more; not just sit on your money,” Byram had commented on a TV show. In the post 1971 era when several minority members opted to leave Pakistan, "our family preferred to stay because we were responsible for more than just our home,” stated Byram, pointing out that the application form for a job with the Avaris does not enquire about a person’s creed or nationality. "I prefer to invest in Pakistan and that’s why I am launching hotels of world class in Multan, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Islamabad and other cities,” he had said at the launch of Avari Xpress Boutique, a four-star business hotel in Multan in 2017.
He was equally happy to see his hotel premises being used for worthy causes. Meetings of the English Speaking Union of Pakistan where he was president would be held in their hotel premises as also rehearsals and recordings of music programs organized by Rashna Gazder of Harmony in Helping Hands. Viewing him as "a father figure who was kind and fun-loving,” Gazder noted in a nine-minute video tribute: "He went all out to support us if we needed any help. No matter how busy he was, he was always there for us.” The tribute ended with the Whitney Houston song One moment in time that represented Avari’s spirit: "Each day I live/ I want to be/ A day to give/ The best of me…” He was equally happy that their Ramada Hotel in Toronto was the venue for Zoroastrian religion classes when dedicated parents would bring their children on Sundays and sit with them for three to four hours.
The Avari logo of a yacht reflected his passion for the water sport in which he had won international laurels. In1978 Avari and Munir Sadiq had won the Enterprise class gold medal at the Asian Games in Bangkok. Four years later he won another gold, this time with wife Goshpi as partner, at the Asian Games in India. To recognize this accomplishment the Pakistan Postal Department had released a stamp in December 1983. Prior to that he had been conferred the President’s gold medal and Pride of Performance Award for Sports in 1982. At different points of time he had served as commodore of the Karachi Yacht Club. In the early 1980s he was winner of the State of Ontario (Canada) Sailing Championship and the Canadian Inco Regatta, and was also a runner-up at the World Sailing Championship in Canada and the USA Open National Sailing Championship.
Top and above: Byram and Goshpi Avari as Asian Games winners in yachting in 1982
Top: Byram (right) receiving World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce memento from Pallonji Mistry;
above: Byram (center) with then Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif (l)
and then governor of Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul Ebad Khan
Boosting business
In every hotel and business in the Avari Group, Byram ensured there were huge pictures displayed of his parents Dinshaw and Khorshed whom he respected tremendously. After his primary education at the Karachi Grammar School and his A levels from St Patrick College, Byram completed his BCom from the Government College of Commerce and Economics. He earned his LLB degree, a diploma in business administration and another diploma in hotel management from Cornell University, USA before joining the hotel business launched by his father. The Avari Group currently includes Spencer and Company (Pvt) Ltd that deals with real estate and investments as also Avari Travel Services (Pvt) Ltd.
Considering himself fortunate to be guided by his father, Byram had stressed on the importance of a mentor when hosting a trade delegation from the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) India to Karachi in 2007 to explore the possibility of business ties between the two countries. The same year he was conferred the distinction of being made honorary member of the WZCC. When people raise funds for social work, he advises them, "Get into business. Use 75% of the income on your own, family and community needs and use 25% of profits on social work.”
Byram had learnt from his father: "Use your hand to give. You can give love and affection; not only money. Helping people in different ways in their difficulties… is the Parsi spirit, the ethos represented in the Parsi schools, the N. E. Dinshaw Engineering College, the Kothari Parade, the Spencer Eye Hospital… created for the city by Parsis,” Byram had earlier commented.
"Legacy of hard work”
"P stands for Pakistan and P for Parsis. There is a divine arrangement,” observed Byram who was always loyal to his country. As honorary consul for Canada, he had established a network of contacts to assist those in distress. At a commemoration meeting organized by the Ontario Zoroastrian Community Foundation, community members in Canada paid their tributes. Nilufer Mama acknowledged, "We have lost a great leader whose shoes will be very hard to fill.”"He left no stone unturned” to support others, stated Jeroo Makujina. "His energy and ambition to do something bigger and better never ceased to amaze everyone. He really leaves behind a legacy of hard work,” stated Jehangir Engineer. On his visits to Canada, if he knew somebody was sick, he always made time to meet the person. "Byram uncle was and will always remain a source of strength and a respected member of our community… No matter how influential, I never saw a speck of pride in him. Work was done, help was granted,” appreciated Kaizer Irani.
Above: Avari family (from l, standing) Dinshaw Sr, Goshpi, Behram, Fiona,
Kawas, Dinshaw Jr, Byram, Dilnaz, Dinaz, Xerxes;(sitting) Fareezeh, Nadine,
Byram Jr, Zeena, Perin, Zeus;
inset: Byram with sister Havovi Dadabhoy who predeceased him by one week
Byram Avari with Blondie, Barney and Buddy
In recognition of his service to Canada, Byram was conferred the Diamond Jubilee Medal on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the British throne in 2012. "The contributions you have made to our nation are most commendable and deserve our praise and admiration,” noted a commendation certificate from David Johnston, governor general of Canada.
To Byram, "every religion is the greatest religion in the world.” Concerned that "tolerance which was the hallmark of Zoroastrianism is being lost,” under his stewardship the Karachi Anjuman decided that "being a progressive religion it is necessary for us to give equal rights to men and women...” Navjoted children of interfaith couples, irrespective of the mother or father being a Zoroastrian, were permitted entry to their Seth Dossabhoy Merwanji Wadia Dar-e-Meher. Regarding the last rites on their Doongerwadi land, it was documented that prayers could be said irrespective of the final disposal being by dakhmenashini, burial or cremation (see "Equal rights for men and women,” Parsiana, July 7, 2011).
Other useful initiatives were the installation of an electronically operated lifter in 2022 to assist the aging nassessalars to carry corpses up the elevated road and dakhma steps. To make their dakhma more effective, Byram arranged for polished steel sheets to be affixed to dakhma walls to better reflect the sun’s rays on the corpses. It was during his chairmanship of KPATF that the Avari Colony was inaugurated in the vicinity of the dakhmas. Free medical aid besides facilities for the convenience of community members and also Covid aid were sanctioned. Among the other community organizations with which Byram was connected were the Dastur Dr Dhalla Memorial Institute where he was president, and the Jehangir Rajkotwalla Baug Trust where he was chairman.
As a Member of Parliament from 1982-85 and 1988-93, Byram represented the minorities with his constituency spanning the Kalash tribe in Chitral, the Sikhs of Punjab, the Baha’is of Thatta and the Zoroastrians of Karachi. One of his major accomplishments was being able to retain English as the medium of instruction at the Mama and Bai Virbaiji Soparivala schools.
Bonding with the family was important to Byram who used music and sports to cement their ties. While Byram was a trained violinist who had earned his senior certificate from the Trinity College of Music, London, he was happy to join his grandchildren, who played the drums, piano and guitar, to put up a private performance on New Year’s eve.
Daughter Zeena Avari Aga recalled her father’s words: "Life goes on and we have to adapt and adjust to every single situation.” Featured in Meher Bhesania’s book, Fathers and Sons, Mothers and Daughters, Byram was quoted as saying, "If I have taught them (the sons) anything, it is the trinity of righteousness, truth and integrity. Without these, you are poor in spirit.” Dinshaw described his father as an entrepreneur in the true sense who inspired them to follow the family motto "When you rest you rust...”
One of Byram’s favorite quotes was by Confucius, which he had included in his speech when the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif visited the Beach Luxury Hotel in 2015: "If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nations. When there is order in the nations, there will be peace in the world.”
The sporting Avari is survived by his wife Goshpi, sons Dinshaw and Xerxes, and daughter Zeena Behram Aga.