Vurjeevandas Madhowdas

Who was Vurjeevandas Madhowdas?

Vurjeevandas Madhowdas, Hindu merchant of Bombay, of the Kapole Bania caste, was born on 28 January 1817 at Gogla, in Kathiawar, whence his father came to Bombay with Sheth Manoredas for trading purposes.

Vurjeevandas was educated in Bombay, started a new firm under the name of Vurjeevandas & Sons, and soon became one of the wealthiest merchants in Bombay. He was appointed a justice of the peace and a member of the Bombay Port Trust. He took a keen interest in the Royal Asiatic Society and the Bombay university, where a prize has been established to commemorate his name. He constructed the Madhow Bang in memory of his father, and gave it to the use of poor Hindus, endowing it with nearly five lakhs of rupees. He built a rest-house in Bombay in memory of his brother Mooljibhoy, and another one at Nasik. The sanatorium which he built in memory of his youngest son Rumhoredas at Sion Hill is a great boon to the poor people of his community. He also established a dispensary at Matoonga and a fund for the relief of indigent Hindus. He died on the 12th of January 1896.