Navratri is family affair for Dholakia clan

SURAT: Prakash Narola and Dinesh Narola ensured their presence in Surat on Sunday from New Jersey and Antwerp. Similarly closer home Shreyans, Akshay and Rahul Dholakia who live in Mumbai returned from their business trip in Hong Kong not to miss their date with the extended family and honour the tradition in Dholakia family to get together for one of the nine nights of Navratri to renew the family bonding.
The family is not a small one and has almost 900 members spread across the globe from Dhudhala in Lathi taluka of Amreli to New York in USA.
"Everyone from Kanjidada family reaches Surat for one night," said Govind Dholakia, son of Kanji Dholakia. Govind runs Shree Ramkrishna Exports, a DTC site holder company.
The family has three DTC site holder companies Shree Ramakrishna Exports, Hare Krishna Exports and Bhavani Gems. Nearly 100 family members live abroad looking after the operations of their firms and all of them have made it a point to be present at the family union on one day of Navratri during the last two decades.
"It is the time when elders remind us of our upbringing and family values," said Shreyansh Dholakia, a third generation Dholakia.
Govind Dholakia, a second generation Dholakia pointed, "We remind our family members that our family should be addiction free. We also tell them to resolve problems on one to one basis without getting into conflict."
Iswar Dholakia, another third generation member of the family said, "This is one day when we get to meet all our family members and new arrivals in the family are cherished and loved by all. It is not only male but even female members give us important tips and advise on how to live life."
This Sunday was yet another occasion when four generations of the family gathered at SRK sports complex on Ved road and played garba and dandiya after the Maha aarti.