CHULANI'S REMARKABLE JOURNEY TO JAMAICA - JAMAICA TOURIST ISSUE 14
Few people can match the story of Tikamdas Chulani, the 91-year-old founder of “Chulani Duty Free Stores”. When he left his native India as a young man, the jewelry merchant did not know that he had embarked on a voyage that would take him to the ancient land of Egypt, the shores of Saigon and the fatherland of the Phoenicians, Lebanon, before taking him to the tropical islands of the Caribbean. During his remarkable journey, Tikamdas has kissed the hands of 6 kings, seen history in the making and lived a life as full of adventure as a fairytale. One of the pioneers of the region’s duty free merchandising and the very soul of the tightly knit Chulani family, Tikamdas’ legacy is an inspiration to all.
“Trust in cash, rest in God.” This is one of the favorite sayings of Tikamdas Chulani, the 91-year-old merchant and duty free pioneer of “Chulani Duty Free Stores”. And that pretty much sums up the philosophy of the Chulani family sage, who has lived a life most of us can only dream of. With more than 50 years in business in the region, “Chulani Duty Free Stores” has certainly come a long way since Tikamdas first arrived to the islands of the West Indies.
The saga of Chulani Jewelers began when Tikamdas’ father Sobraj Chulani went to Cairo many, many years ago to work for Pohoomull Brothers, a company that exported textiles, handcrafted items and jewelry to the West. Working in Egypt two years at a time, Sobraj would spend his vacations in India with his wife Parpati. The couple was blessed with seven children, one of them Tikamdas Sobraj Chulani, who was born on November 18, 1918 in Hyderabad. Recalls Tikamdas, who at an early age displayed a knack for math, “My childhood dream was to leave India and become a businessman.”
At the age of 18, his mother bought him a deck class seat on a ship bound for Egypt, and Tikamdas left India to join his father in the land of the pyramids. Like his father, Tikamdas worked for the Pohoomull Brothers until Egypt changed its immigration laws in 1939 and he was forced to leave the country. The company sent him to work in Saigon, Indo China, which today is known as Vietnam. After 14 months, Tikamdas left Saigon and returned to India, just ahead of the Japanese invasion in 1940.
Still working at Pohoomull Brothers, father Sobraj learnt the intricacies of jewelry trading climbing the ladder to general manager of his department. The jeweler of choice for the Royal Palace, his skills earned him the title of ‘Royal Court Jeweler’ in the early 1930s. One day, Sobraj had the honor of personally serving His Majesty King Farouk of Egypt and from that day, Sobraj became the Egyptian King’s personal jeweler. When Sobraj asked His Majesty’s assistance to help reunite him with his son Tikamdas, who had been forced to leave the country, The King arranged all necessary paperwork and Tikamdas returned to Egypt with royal permission.
Going with his father on business calls, Tikadamas familiarized himself with the jewelry trade. He left Pohoomall Brothers to work for Dialdas, the firm that sold the most luxurious watches and jewelry in Egypt at the time. All the royals shopped at Dialdas, and as the general manager Tikamdas was soon assigned the title of ‘Royal Court Jeweler’ just like his dad. Knowing the Chulani family, King Farouk would only shop with Tikamdas and sometimes summoned him to the palace to purchase grand pieces of jewelry and watches from Boucheron, Cartier or Vacheron Constantine. World War II had forced many royals into exile and numerous took shelter in Egypt. As the royal jeweler, Tikamdas had the opportunity to serve many of them. Remembers the merchant, “I particularly remember a ruby & diamond necklace I sold. It is the most beautiful piece of jewelry that I have ever seen.”
Tikamdas tells us his favorite story, which he loves to share with his five grandchildren and six great grandchildren, “I have kissed the hands of six kings: His Majesty Farouk of Egypt, the Shahanshah of Iran who came to Cairo to marry King Farouk’s sister, Emperor Haile Selassie from Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) who escaped to Egypt when Benito Mussolini conquered the country in 1936, King George II of Greece who fled to Egypt in 1941 to escape Hitler, King Zog of Albania who was exiled due to Mussolini’s invasion and King Abdullah, grandfather of the present King of Jordan.”
Over the years, Tikamdas became a renowned, respected and influential businessman in Egypt. When India gained independence from England in 1947, he helped to find a suitable property for the new Indian embassy in Cairo and arranged for the Indian Government to purchase the property from Mahmoud Fahmi an-Nukrashi Pasha, the Egyptian Prime Minister at the time. The merchant, who has lived and been part of historic world events on several continents, counts the last person he worked for in Egypt, Mr. Dialdas among the most interesting people he had ever met, “He taught me all the great things in life. How to meet people, drink, eat, behave, and how to live!”
In 1952, King Farouk was overthrown during the Egyptian Revolution and the family was forced to leave the country due to unrest. Tikamdas, his wife and daughters moved to Beirut where he opened Galleria Fakhreidine together with two Lebanese partners, selling paintings, furniture, antiques and jewelry. Now a business owner, he was finally able to make his idea of trading loose gemstones a reality. However, the family had to leave Lebanon in 1959, when war broke out between Muslims and Christians, making the city unsafe for the citizens. And that is when Tikamdas took advantage of what he considered to be a great business opportunity in the Caribbean. Explains the merchant, “Americans were no longer able to spend their vacations in Cuba, because it had become a communist country.”
The family moved to Jamaica where he opened Chulani Jewelers. Soon after, Tikamdas expanded with stores in St. Maarten, where he has sold jewelry, watches and perfumes ever since. “Today, we specialize in cameras and electronics in St. Maarten,” explains the merchant. “In Jamaica, we sell a large range of merchandise including jewelry, watches, crystal, cameras and electronics.”
When asked what he remembers as his life’s most memorable moment, Tikamdas says without hesitation, “September 2, 1941. That was the day I got married to Nirmala, the most beautiful lady in Hyderabad.” Married for 68 years, the couple had three daughters Usha, Veena, and Laila but sadly, Nirmala passed away in 2009 at the age of 91. As a member of the St. Maarten Rotary Club, Tikamdas has helped the Caribbean island for many years. However, he still shares a special bond with his motherland India, where he makes big donations to orphanages and senior citizens homes every time he visits. Tikamdas is currently in the process of establishing a foundation to support education in the name of his late wife Nirmala.
After working and traveling to so many countries, Tikamdas states, “Out of all the countries I have seen, England is my favorite destination. Two of my daughters went to boarding school in London and I still love to spend time at my apartment near Hyde Park, meeting my many friends from around the world.”
In the late 1970s, Tikamdas’ son-in-law the late Gul Mahtani took over the duty free business in Jamaica, expanding the operation into different industries. Today, the Chulani empire consists of three duty free jewelry stores in Montego Bay, at the Sangster International Airport, the City Centre and Shoppes at Rose Hall and three duty free electronic stores on the island of St. Maarten. Firmly planted at the beating heart of the island’s duty free business, Director Ranjeet Mahtani, Tikamdas’ grandson and son of the late Gul Mahtani, is now at the helm of Chulani Duty Free Stores in Jamaica. Starting in 2010, the company has plans to continue its expansion in the Caribbean.
“Trust in cash, rest in God.” This is one of the favorite sayings of Tikamdas Chulani, the 91-year-old merchant and duty free pioneer of “Chulani Duty Free Stores”. And that pretty much sums up the philosophy of the Chulani family sage, who has lived a life most of us can only dream of. With more than 50 years in business in the region, “Chulani Duty Free Stores” has certainly come a long way since Tikamdas first arrived to the islands of the West Indies.
The saga of Chulani Jewelers began when Tikamdas’ father Sobraj Chulani went to Cairo many, many years ago to work for Pohoomull Brothers, a company that exported textiles, handcrafted items and jewelry to the West. Working in Egypt two years at a time, Sobraj would spend his vacations in India with his wife Parpati. The couple was blessed with seven children, one of them Tikamdas Sobraj Chulani, who was born on November 18, 1918 in Hyderabad. Recalls Tikamdas, who at an early age displayed a knack for math, “My childhood dream was to leave India and become a businessman.”
At the age of 18, his mother bought him a deck class seat on a ship bound for Egypt, and Tikamdas left India to join his father in the land of the pyramids. Like his father, Tikamdas worked for the Pohoomull Brothers until Egypt changed its immigration laws in 1939 and he was forced to leave the country. The company sent him to work in Saigon, Indo China, which today is known as Vietnam. After 14 months, Tikamdas left Saigon and returned to India, just ahead of the Japanese invasion in 1940.
Still working at Pohoomull Brothers, father Sobraj learnt the intricacies of jewelry trading climbing the ladder to general manager of his department. The jeweler of choice for the Royal Palace, his skills earned him the title of ‘Royal Court Jeweler’ in the early 1930s. One day, Sobraj had the honor of personally serving His Majesty King Farouk of Egypt and from that day, Sobraj became the Egyptian King’s personal jeweler. When Sobraj asked His Majesty’s assistance to help reunite him with his son Tikamdas, who had been forced to leave the country, The King arranged all necessary paperwork and Tikamdas returned to Egypt with royal permission.
Going with his father on business calls, Tikadamas familiarized himself with the jewelry trade. He left Pohoomall Brothers to work for Dialdas, the firm that sold the most luxurious watches and jewelry in Egypt at the time. All the royals shopped at Dialdas, and as the general manager Tikamdas was soon assigned the title of ‘Royal Court Jeweler’ just like his dad. Knowing the Chulani family, King Farouk would only shop with Tikamdas and sometimes summoned him to the palace to purchase grand pieces of jewelry and watches from Boucheron, Cartier or Vacheron Constantine. World War II had forced many royals into exile and numerous took shelter in Egypt. As the royal jeweler, Tikamdas had the opportunity to serve many of them. Remembers the merchant, “I particularly remember a ruby & diamond necklace I sold. It is the most beautiful piece of jewelry that I have ever seen.”
Tikamdas tells us his favorite story, which he loves to share with his five grandchildren and six great grandchildren, “I have kissed the hands of six kings: His Majesty Farouk of Egypt, the Shahanshah of Iran who came to Cairo to marry King Farouk’s sister, Emperor Haile Selassie from Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) who escaped to Egypt when Benito Mussolini conquered the country in 1936, King George II of Greece who fled to Egypt in 1941 to escape Hitler, King Zog of Albania who was exiled due to Mussolini’s invasion and King Abdullah, grandfather of the present King of Jordan.”
Over the years, Tikamdas became a renowned, respected and influential businessman in Egypt. When India gained independence from England in 1947, he helped to find a suitable property for the new Indian embassy in Cairo and arranged for the Indian Government to purchase the property from Mahmoud Fahmi an-Nukrashi Pasha, the Egyptian Prime Minister at the time. The merchant, who has lived and been part of historic world events on several continents, counts the last person he worked for in Egypt, Mr. Dialdas among the most interesting people he had ever met, “He taught me all the great things in life. How to meet people, drink, eat, behave, and how to live!”
In 1952, King Farouk was overthrown during the Egyptian Revolution and the family was forced to leave the country due to unrest. Tikamdas, his wife and daughters moved to Beirut where he opened Galleria Fakhreidine together with two Lebanese partners, selling paintings, furniture, antiques and jewelry. Now a business owner, he was finally able to make his idea of trading loose gemstones a reality. However, the family had to leave Lebanon in 1959, when war broke out between Muslims and Christians, making the city unsafe for the citizens. And that is when Tikamdas took advantage of what he considered to be a great business opportunity in the Caribbean. Explains the merchant, “Americans were no longer able to spend their vacations in Cuba, because it had become a communist country.”
The family moved to Jamaica where he opened Chulani Jewelers. Soon after, Tikamdas expanded with stores in St. Maarten, where he has sold jewelry, watches and perfumes ever since. “Today, we specialize in cameras and electronics in St. Maarten,” explains the merchant. “In Jamaica, we sell a large range of merchandise including jewelry, watches, crystal, cameras and electronics.”
When asked what he remembers as his life’s most memorable moment, Tikamdas says without hesitation, “September 2, 1941. That was the day I got married to Nirmala, the most beautiful lady in Hyderabad.” Married for 68 years, the couple had three daughters Usha, Veena, and Laila but sadly, Nirmala passed away in 2009 at the age of 91. As a member of the St. Maarten Rotary Club, Tikamdas has helped the Caribbean island for many years. However, he still shares a special bond with his motherland India, where he makes big donations to orphanages and senior citizens homes every time he visits. Tikamdas is currently in the process of establishing a foundation to support education in the name of his late wife Nirmala.
After working and traveling to so many countries, Tikamdas states, “Out of all the countries I have seen, England is my favorite destination. Two of my daughters went to boarding school in London and I still love to spend time at my apartment near Hyde Park, meeting my many friends from around the world.”
In the late 1970s, Tikamdas’ son-in-law the late Gul Mahtani took over the duty free business in Jamaica, expanding the operation into different industries. Today, the Chulani empire consists of three duty free jewelry stores in Montego Bay, at the Sangster International Airport, the City Centre and Shoppes at Rose Hall and three duty free electronic stores on the island of St. Maarten. Firmly planted at the beating heart of the island’s duty free business, Director Ranjeet Mahtani, Tikamdas’ grandson and son of the late Gul Mahtani, is now at the helm of Chulani Duty Free Stores in Jamaica. Starting in 2010, the company has plans to continue its expansion in the Caribbean.
