Abdulrub Peera Dewjee

Abdulrub Peera Dewjee

Family tree

Parents

Peera Dewjee 1841–1904

Siblings

Abdulali Peera Dewjee 1890–1935

Abdulhussein Peera Dewjee

Abdulhamid Peera Dewjee

Abdulrasul Peera Dewjee

Fatma Peera Dewjee

Born in

Peera Dewjee(Born in 1841 Kera).

One happy occasion was the wedding of his (Peera Dewjee's) third son Abdulrub, in December 1900. Under ‘Local News, the Zanzibar Gazette announced:

"WEDDING.—This being the season for weddings amongst Hindi [i.e. Indian Muslim] population, a number of marriages have been arranged and will take place before the great fast of Ramadan which commences on the 3rd of January 1901.

We are particularly desired to mention the wedding of Abdulrab, a third son of Mr. Peera Deoji, and partner in the firm of Abdnl Rasool Bros. & Co., which is to take place on Friday next with the daughter of Nassur Juma Haimani.

A large number of Europeans are invited to the wedding and a special request by the Bridegroom’s father to take part in the procession which will start from his house in Bagani street at 9 p.m. and take the following route to the Bride’s house:— Portuguese Street, down by the Customs and H.H’s Palace.

The wedding was reported on at length the following week.

"A good many Indian weddings have been witnessed in Zanzibar, but we doubt whether in point of interest shewn bv the Europeans for, and in the grandeur and pomp which was at the wedding of Mr Abdul Rab, any have been equal to it.

It is plain to see that Mr. Dewji has not lost any of his former skill in organizing and hosting such affairs on a huge scale. Practically the entire English community availed themselves of the invitation to the wedding and honoured it with their presence, arriving at Mr. Peera’s brilliantly lighted house at 9 p.m. When the guests had taken their seats, Mrs. Peera displayed to them the telegram of congratulation from H. H. the Aga Khan transmitted from Berlin, on a richly embroidered velvet cushion placed on a silver tray - the cushion being the work of Abdul Karim Perbhai Jariwala - it was then taken before the Bridegroom, who stood and made a profound obeisance to it.

Refreshments were then served, after which Mrs Peera proceeded to decorate all the guests with garlands of jasmine and rose. The guests then moved out to the street which was thronged with spectators and in one blaze of light, to take part in the procession that started as soon as the Bridegroom mounted his white charger. Fireworks were let off at intervals en route to the Bride’s house and pan supari was freely distributed to everyone following in the wake of the procession. In front of the Palace the Bridegroom made a halt, and bowed to H. H. who was standing in the balcony, and who graciously acknowledged the obeisance. The Brides house was ultimately reached, where the interesting ceremony of receiving the Bridegroom by the Brides mother was witnessed, amidst deafening sounds of Indian and Swahili music. In spite of the almost overpowering heat which was experienced at this juncture, everybody seemed to be in the best of spirits and one and all responded heartily to the three cheers that were called forth by Mr. Mehta for the Bride and Bridegroom, and which was a fitting termination to the happy proceedings. We wish Mr. and Mrs. Abdul Rab every joy and ‘Mubarak’ in their married life.

Mr Peera in his great joy has presented a handkerchief each to all the boys of the Euan-Smith Madressa, and has feasted a large number of the poor of the city on pilau. After the feast, the poor were given a pice each, and the poor were served with sherbat."