It's a sight for sore eyes a place where the exigencies of a modern-day metropolis seem a far-fetched idea; a locality that boasts of nothing but calmness; a colony made up of, and for, a community whose contribution to Karachi's well-being is immeasurable; and a neighbourhood tastefully strewn with houses, lodges and bungalows made of stone representing the city's early 20th century balanced geo-demographic state.

It nearly defies the senses when you enter the Katrak Parsi Colony either from the Soldier Bazaar area or from M.A. Jinnah Road, for both the thoroughfares are terribly ill-managed and the colony that exists between them oozes peacefulness as if the cacophony that borders it is merely a figment of imagination. The quietude is almost bucolic. There's nothing insanely urban about it. The locality is clean as a whistle. The trees are trimmed, lawns mowed. Many of the stone-made houses are neatly maintained. Some have been repainted, concealing their original stone texture. A few look less unspoiled. But on the whole the colony cuts such a quaint picture that it makes you feel as if you're in a time machine experiencing a different world within you. Where in Karachi can you see houses whose nameplates indicate the date of their construction? Not many instantly spring to mind.

There's a park in the middle of two lanes comprising single and multi-storey residential buildings. Two smallish structures face each other. One is relatively new, the other an old piece. The latter has a portion called the Bhedawar Reading Room and Library. Apart from the usual park-visitors, members of the Karachi Parsi Cooperative Housing Society (KPCHS) often gather here and discuss issues that concern their society. Its walls are lined with pictures of illustrious men and women who helped made the colony in particular and the city in general an exemplary locale.

You can't miss a commemorative plaque a few steps before the library. It reads “The Karachi Parsee Housing Society Ltd, The Foundation Stone of the Katrak Parsee Colony Was Laid By J. L. Rieu, Commisioner In Sind, on Jamshedi Nauroze Wednesday 21st March 1923.” The plaque was originally placed on M.A. Jinnah Road, but when it was in danger of being toppled or dismantled because of the reckless attitude of those who ply the road, members of the KPCHS took it out and placed it in the park. It was a wise decision. History should never be allowed to dislodge.

On either side of the three lanes in the colony there are 58 plots. This covers the area spanning from M.A. Jinnah Road to the Holy Family Hospital, which is also an important old Karachi building. A majority of these plots have one-storey residences, and some constitute multi-floor apartments. The Sohrab Katrak Park, mentioned above, is in the midst of it all. On its left, that is if you're coming from Soldier Bazaar, are the Katrak blocks. These are 20 apartments of different sizes donated to the society by Sir Kavasji Katrak so that they could be given at reasonable rates to those who couldn't afford high rents.

It was in the first decade of the 20th century that Khan Bahadur Sir Kavasji Hormusjee Katrak, along with his able colleagues and friends, tried to obtain this piece of land for the Zoroastrian community, which was an integral part of Karachi and was involved in philanthropy. Acknowledging Sir Kavasji Hormusjee Katrak's efforts, the colony was named after him.

Now the neighbourhood isn't just important for its well-maintained old buildings. History also has a role to play. An important, elderly member of the KPCHS, who is not fond of self-projection (so no names), says “I distinctly remember when I was very young, I saw Mohammad Ali Jinnah delivering a speech in the park. His monocle kept falling off his eye. But he was a good speaker. He never let anything bother him.”

“The colony is doing fine. There are a few things that need attention. But nothing major,” he says.

Architect Noman Ahmed says “The most prominent architectural aspect of the Katrak Parsi Colony is the homogeneity of its design. It has a modest residential composition, and depicts functional architecture of the late colonial period. The boundary wall profile is so low that it reminds us of the better days of Karachi when security was not an issue.”

“Now the important thing is that its architecture needs to be protected because of the threat of commercialisation in the surrounding neighbourhoods,” says Noman Ahmed.

A cool breeze has started to pick. The trees in the Katrak Parsi Colony are swaying gently. There's soothing quietness all around. It has a nice effect on the residents of the locality, the passersby, and on the stone houses that breathe like their occupants.

mohammad.salman@dawn.com