RIP Daddio 7/6/2020 – Eulogy and Prayers

My Eulogy for Dad
Thank you all for being here in memory of dad.
Dad was my first hero, I used to go to school with my chest out telling everyone my dad is an artist. I even used to call him my Batman because he never showed what hardship he was going through. On our last call 2 days before his death, he couldn’t breathe properly and I had a strong feeling that he would choose to go on the same day as mom’s passing. I am sure mom came to give him safe passage and he is in good hands now. After our call he sent me the smiley face with a wink and tounge sticking out. That is the strong and positive front dad has always shown in tough times. As I grew up everyone told me how much I looked, talked and had the same demeanour as him. Even now I copy his fashion sense. This top that I have been wearing was a present from dad when we were in Goa, he knew I never wanted anything material from him but he insisted on getting it for me because he said it was ‘Mukund type’ with the colours, shapes and the Aum.

He was always popular with people from all walks of life. Both mine and Hem’s friends have fond memories of dad and his captivating life stories. He was very active in clubs and causes but my favourite memories were when we got to spend quality time together, it didn’t matter to me what we did, cuddle on the sofa, the drives to the drive-in or airport where he would change the lights from full beam to normal and go Chickoo Paras Chickoo Paras while he played our favourite songs, when he used to pick me up from tuitions and would translate the meanings of ghazals and when I was scared and he would give me his giant thumb to hold on to as protection.

I’d like to give a special mention to Hems for doing so much for dad and being there when I couldn’t, to the UK family as he got to reconnect with them a few years back when he spent time over there. He was showered with so much love by them and would constantly tell me about how grateful he was for those moments and how much their love pulled him through the rough patch. The stories of their childhoods with dad brought a lump through my throat. That was the time I would keep telling dad that I wish I could do more and he would reassure me that the standup comedies and scriptures I sent him were exactly what he needed at the right times. He reminded me of how I always knew how to take care of him spiritually where it mattered.

Another special mention goes to Florence, Ruth, Ivy, Mercy and Cherish who had become his second family in Kenya. Dad would tell fond stories of the rakshabandhan ceremony with sister Florence, how Ruth’s singing, laughing and happy vibes filled the house, stories of Ivy and how clever Marcy is and how everyone called him Papa Palasi when he spent time with them in the shambas … how his eyes filled with love when he talked about the joy baby Cherish brought.

I’m glad Bhavna got to spend time with dad when he stayed with us. They had a lot in common especially because they are both strong Shiva devotees and they share the same birth date of 24th January. Bhavna’s favourite story was when dad went to the hospital to do some healing on a lady. The louder he would chant Om namah shivay, the louder she would scream. So he thought the healing was working and would chant louder, and so it went until they found out that she was actually pregnant and going through labour.

What more can I say? He wanted everyone to rejoice in his parting and always said that Shiva promised him that he would go peacefully in his sleep. He may not be with us physically anymore but he is surely a strong presence. He is, was and always will be MUKUND THAKRAR

At 20:25 the maraj explains why we do the rituals. How they help the departed to pass. How one’s karma will direct you to one of the 4 doors. On the soul’s journey is long and cooking dads favourite foods for offering on the 3rd day will sustain the soul. When you see us giving offerings on different directions, dad used to pray to these directions before his prayer for protection. He says a lot of the mysteries of death are unfolded in the Garud Puran

The maraj spoke about the rituals signifying purification of body, mind and soul. Then purification of the senses. The prayers we have been doing since moving into the house has also protected the area around us and has attracted good energy. Today being a solar eclipse makes the day much more auspicious and the prayers much more powerful. The significance of burying the head first or burning it first and the connection of the head coming out first in birth. Incarnations. After this ceremony life can go on as normal as the main ceremonies are done. Material things are temporary and while the athma is permanent. Brahma Bhoj is offered as a form of love as well as blessings to establish a closer relationship between parent and child.

EULOGY by Hems Thakraar for late Mukund Thakraar (24/1/1943 to 7/6/2020) recited at the prayer meeting of 9/6/2020Thank you for all for attending today. It means a lot to have you here.I miss and acknowledge the souls of family who have passed already :Our dear mum, our late uncles and aunts who we trust are with us in spirit. Ba (Dadi), Krishna fai, Jayanti fua, Damufai, Lakhu Ada, Vanlila fai, Mohan fua and our bapa the late Bhagwanji Gordhandas ThakrarHow can I write a Eulogy for a man who wrote speeches for President’s, Minister’s and CEO’s? I won’t try, I’ll just say my bit.Forgive me if this will sound like a resume but I do not want any of his achievements forgotten and I am also a Capricorn so it’s easier than to write about my feelings. You all know how much I love him.Dad was Multitalented, An Artist, A Musician, An Actor with many titles such as FreeMason Grand Master, An Art of Living and yoga/mudra teacher, Founder Chairman of the Kiwanis Club of Stallions, Public Relations Consultant, Professional Shooter and Member of the Kenya Regiment, Philatelist, Philanthropist, Photographer, Public Relations Consultant, Area Coordinator for Kiwanis International, Managing Director (meanwhile he called us kids ‘Damaging Director’)Yet To me he was Pap. From him I learnt so much. His altruistic nature ensured that he was always giving without asking anything back. Despite having a rough start in life with a paralysed father who he took care of, despite being one of the youngest siblings in situations where there wasn’t always enough to go around, dad rose up to this challenge which fast tracked him to become a self-made, strong, focused young man. He rose to every challenge and got better from it. From the early days he worked at System’s Africa and later the DAILY NATION where he was recognised for always going above and beyond. A couple of years before I was born, he started a company that would be nationally reknowned – Mukund Arts Limited began with just 1,100 sh. Which is a couple of coffees here in Australia today. By his side stood Aruna our mum. Their love story is the stuff of legends. Just like Bollywood, she was rich and from another community / caste and he was poor. To have a Lohana marry a Shah was not done then. Despite all odds, their love persisted and won. Dad walked into her father’s mansion and declared he would marry her and he did that despite opposition from her family until eventually her dad came around. Thankfully he got his woman else Paras and I wouldn’t be here today! Together they ensured that Mukund Arts became an Advertising Powerhouse. To this day we have people send us cuttings of the creative ads, cinema slides, and unique concepts from the 70’s and 80’s. The company was there until January this year when we finally closed doors.He was always fit and once modelled for an underwear ad himself. He didn’t fear to use half naked European women wearing men’s jeans to make the – Pepe Jeans London brand famous in Kenya. That was unheard of then. His out of the box thinking lead to famous designs that are used today such as – Zesta, Peptang, Serena, bank logos for many Kenyan banks, the launch of Daewoo cars in Kenya, Safari Rally Kenya and more. He transformed famous stores from long traditional family names to simple names like Jaytex or Bobtex which became household names. His out of the box thinking sometimes created adventures, like the time he hung out of a small unreliable plane with a pilot who pulled off the door so that dad could take good photos of a property development he was promoting. Pop-In was another success story as well as restaurants / clubs like Annabells. He partnered with my old friend Aally’s parents and founded Princeton Academy with them in Kenya.His journey exposed him to huge projects such as The 4th All Africa Games, The Eucharistic Congress and Papal visit of Pope John paul 2. Through Kiwanis he organised some of the largest Navratri festivals to be held in Kenya (attended by Bollywood stars) which are still remembered today. He hosted and helped promote shows with International Artists and Actors and eventually had his own acting career. He was an amazing MC, with a powerful voice and talent to speak off the cuff. This ensured he was always on stage at the shows. The one time he wasn’t on stage he was asked to sing for charity. He reluctantly sang due to his concern from his smoker’s voice. That song raised over 2 million shillings and the crowd was in tears. He sang from the heart.All these experiences allowed mum and even us as his kids to rub shoulders with the likes of Dreamgirl Hema Malini, , Kishore Kumar Singer, Amitabh Bachchan, Sunny Deol, Chunkey Pandey, Rakesh Roshan, Amrish Puri, Gulshan Grover, Divya Bharti’s Portal, Pankaj Udhas, Manhar Udhas, Pope Saint John Paul II (who awarded dad with a gold medallion of recognition. Only 4 people have received that medallion in Kenya. One of the others was Cardinal Otunga. Dad was the only non-christian to receive it), Former President-Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi commisioned him to do a painting as well as a commemorative stamp with his portrait and worked with dad at State House Kenya to ensure he looked younger in the picture.He was able to deeply connected with people from all walks of life.He met John Welzian (Olympic coach for Kenya) who became a neighbour and a good friend. He also met with religious leaders like Pramukhswami maharaj (who visited his office via and reminded him to stop smoking), Ramesh Bhai oza “Bhaishri”, Sri Sri Ravishankar ji “One World Family”con multiple occasions. Eventually Mukund Arts became the sole agent for distribution / advertising Bollywood in Kenya through Shaka films. He was able to organsie and bring the epic Mahabharata which was 120 hours long and the Ramayan series – to Kenya’s main TV channel so that the whole country could watch these shows weekly. He was sometimes approached by business men without morals to join in easy schemes that were dishonest. He walked away and said to them wise words that I remember. He said he was the richer one because he slept well at night when they didn’t. He was teaching us as we observed. There was so much truth in that. Today some of these men are behind bars or in hiding.As we grew up, mum became more available, so they expanded into more businesses. Soon we had Simba Printers, Lilly Secretarial Bureau, Magazines and Periodicals Ltd. I remember us going in the nights to the printing press as the machines would run 24/7 during busy times.Despite mum’s arthritis she managed to climb 3 storeys to her office when the lifts didn’t work and she drove a manual to work. This was even at times when she couldn’t always change gears.Dad and her laughed when the local matatu operators respectfully moved a matatu for her to park near her office but wouldn’t let dad do it when he tried in her car.Despite all his professional achievements dad grew more outside this world of fame and busienss. He had a passion for knowledge and was a voracious reader. He would work on himself to have a knowing through experience rather than a knowing through theory. He would then share this knowledge with Paras and I. We were always on an adventure learning diverse subjects such as the the Secret power of Pyramids, Naturopathy, Meditation, Vaastu Shastra, Future trends (which I ddnt believe then but today’s world was predicted by him 30 years ago and before the internet!)/ We used to sit late into the night listening to him teach us. Paras used to fall asleep sometimes as dad could talk into the dawn. I’m sure it still permeated into his subconscious as Paras has an equally ravenous thirst for knowledge. He was adventurous and up for fun. I recall him being crowned Mr Galaxy on the cruise shop Galaxy after beating several competitors – one of the many tasks involving drinking several litres of beer followed by balloon blowing and another one involving getting a lady to lend him her clothes to put on which looked very funny with his thick moustache!He was a member of the Kenya Regiment Rifle Club and loved practicing his shooting. He was reagularly at the Athi River Range and also qualified to represent Kenya as one of their best at the Olympic Range – Bisley Shooting Ground in the UK. As a kid I remember wearing his competition T-Shirt. We also learnt Sukyo Mahikari (which is a Japanese practice where I learnt to say the Amatsu Norigoto – one of the most powerful prayer’s I have experienced). There have been some miracles in his life and in one he gave light with Mahikari to comatose patient and brought the young man our of a coma. He believed and had faith to that extent.___________Dad was also an avid stamp collector and his collection at home fills many wardrobes. (Thank you Mr Madhukant Haria of Haria’s Stamp Shop Ltd on explaining its significance.)He used to sit with us and explain the history of each stamp and the regional and cultural significance. He has designed several stamps for Kenya which are in use today including the tribes and costumes of Kenya and the Dhows of Kenya. He taught us how to write calligraohy, draw, paint and play music. He loved being creative and was always doodling and drawing something on a pad. I enjoyed sitting and watching his creations come to life.He was deeply spiritual and giving. This lead to his eventually editing a book with a holy man who needed an editor understood the depth of ancient Hindu texts and Sanskrit and he found that man in dad. The book is called the Divine Scriptures and it is a powerful work by them. Later the man asked dad to attempt what seasoned priests couldn’t – chant the Maha Mrutyunjaya mantra and do a Yagna continuously for several weeks as a Jappa – a physical, mental, emotional feat that had to be seen. Our white ceiling in the large living room turned black with smoke from the fire but he carried on and completed it. That was a demonstration of his immense willpower, persistence and focus. I do not know of anyone else with that level of focus and determination. At another time, him and mum managed to hold a Maha yagna and invited and fed 2,000 people throughout the week of the yagna at Sanatan Dharma Temple Nairobi. His focus also allowed him to rise on his journey as a FreeMason where he eventually became a Grand Master.He was a great actor as was seen in his very different roles from the funny man in the movie Equator to the Angry uncle in ‘Transit’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T1oh_HiUQ8(which was a clever 2005 movie by MTV filmed in St. Petersburg, Mexico City, Nairobi and Los Angeles). He managed to sneak in and wear an Art of Living Shoal in the movie to promote their good work. Acting and spending time with fellow actors brought him joy.His charitable side knew no bounds. I recall how he had just bought a Mercedes and he and mum filled it with muddy hay and took us to feed the cows on some weekends. On a grander scale he was the Founder Chairman of the Kiwanis Club of Stallions (part of Kiwanis International) which was responsible for raising funds for cancer patients. They did many projects such as Feed a Child which fed hundreds of children daily for decades and projects that stood out ;like marrying 330 couples in Jamnagar India who couldn’t afford to get married. Each couple was also given items to set up a complete household. He also organised an international Camel Derby in Mombasa. He was a on the Lohana Committee and a big contributor to Hare Krishna Iskcon Nairobi – SRI SRI Radha Bankebihari Mandir where his name is well respected to this day. He became an The Art of Living teacher. The training for it was intense and they made it harder for him as they knew he could take it. He came back looking as fit as a 20 year old. Srti Sri Ravishankar asked him – ‘apko kathin nahi laga?’ (Did you find it difficult?) With a smile he said ‘nahi’. (Nope).With the Art of Living he immersed himself into reaching out to Prisoners as he had no fear going to them. He didn’t fear walking into dangerous slums where they first threatened him but later the same people protected him as he won them over and taught their kids to meditate, sing and do pranayama. This helped stressed children return back to their true playful nature. The children of villages all over, especially Kabete love him. When we drive his car to the village they are all pining for ‘Kush’ as they lovingly called him.I want to share that throughout his journey he never stopped his kids from being in the room even when he had a meeting with a high profile client. We observed and learnt from these experiences. I attribute all our success in Australia to these lessons and values that we absorbed a long time ago.He shared his life openly with us and included us. I was in Kenya when we moved house in January this year and found some old tapes where he is telling me stories as I lay in his lap. Even now those stories are so full of imagination and creativity where I am unable to stop listening. Those tapes and some others with mum on them mean the world to me. His biggest achievement to me despite all these, was that he was a great father! I loved all the adventures we had together.He taught us to enjoy music and art, to be creative, to be brave, to have conviction, to never give up, to do our duty and to have our WORD mean everything.He has adopted Florence Shiro, Ruth Wanja, Marcielyne Wanja and Cherish and they gave him their best through sincere love and dedication. Their purpose was him. He was a father to us all.This is just a tip of the iceberg. There is so much more that he was that words cannot capture. Fortunately I see so much of him in Paras Thakrar and me. I see him in his sisters and nephews and nieces whether it is looks, habits, actions, thoughts and values. He lives through us.He was a giant of a man who never got to rest; as he was always serving others. He has finally found eternal rest and peace. It’s time to rest dear pap.What you mean to us, we all know.Pap we love you.

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