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Stories from the House

Your insider guide to Kathiwada City House

Edition 1 – August 2022

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We are delighted to announce the launch of our newsletter ‘Stories from the House’ that will reach your inbox once a month. Since its launch in January 2021, Kathiwada City House has been the address to a host of memorable events, and the calendar is set to get even more exciting. Our newsletter will keep you abreast with all the activities, events, workshops and exhibitions that are in the offing at KCH.



Every month, we will also feature two Circle 1434 members in our ‘Meet the Members’ section. This month, we shine the spotlight on Sannaayaah Baldota, founder of Manifest My Dreams, along with Firdaus Variava, vice-president of Bharat Floorings and Tiles. A special ‘Archive Corner’ that shares insights on historic images from the Kathiwada family collection awaits you at the end.



There is no community without communication, and ‘Stories from the House’ is our humble attempt to bridge the gap.

Things to do

This August you can look forward to...

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A guided quilting workshop with artist Saviya Lopes

6 Aug; 11 am to 1 pm

All materials will be provided along with a small quilting kit

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Photography Workshop by Kuber Shah, Former Photo Editor of AD India

27 Aug; 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

The workshop highlights the keys to styling and  photographing a space to make it print-worthy

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At KCH Diner

This month, come savour our appetising new menu

For bookings, call +91 91372 7762

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Meet Fellow Members

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Firdaus Variava

Vice Chairman, Bharat Floorings & Tiles

Vice-chairman at Bharat Floorings & Tiles (BFT), Firdaus Variava has been instrumental in cementing history for a century. The company, after all, has played an integral role in the restoration of some of the key establishments in the city — Royal Bombay Yacht Club, Bombay High Court, BMC HQ, Jewish Synagogue, Royal Opera House, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mani Bhavan, The Cathedral, and John Connon School and Readymoney Mansion — by creating artisanal handcrafted tiles.



Their foray into heritage restoration has been fortuitous. In 1999, the first Kala Ghoda Arts Festival was dedicated to celebrating the heritage of the area. The committee asked his mother and company chairperson, Dilnavaz, if they could remake tiles with their old moulds. BFT’s factory manager of over five decades, who knew the process well, assisted the team. The exhibition provided a history of their various floorings including carpet-patterned tiles, art deco floors, and terrazzo (pictured). Soon enough, corners turned. It became a trend, where people learnt about BFT's Heritage™️ and cement tiles.



Conceived in 1922 by Firdaus’ maternal grandfather Pherozesha Sidhwa, the company was a result of the swadeshi movement that had galvanized the nation. Firdaus, who holds an MBA in marketing from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, USA, took over the reins of the company two decades ago from Dilnavaz. He also brought to the company his vast experience working in diverse fields such as telecom, trading, and market research.



Today, the company has collaborated with design exponents such as Ayaz Basrai, Art & Found, Sameer Kulavoor, Sandeep, and Tanya Khosla. Another lucrative venture they have drawn their focus to is supplying tiles to eateries, restaurants, offices and homes — Abode Bombay, Pizza Express, Taj Mahal Tea House, The Bombay Canteen, OPedro, and Social — that infuse old-school heritage motifs into contemporary architecture.

As the company turns 100 this year – Kathiwada City House is the venue for BFT’s centennial celebration in Mumbai this December – Firdaus is aiming to achieve BFT’s global ambition by expanding operations in six countries over the course of the next three years. “Our centenary has been a humbling experience for us. It is a reminder of the legacy we’ve inherited, the unwavering acceptance we’ve received from our clients and a validation of our core values – design and quality,” says Firdaus “For me, the centenary is a moment in the life of the company where we redraw the future of the company – A future that enriches the lives of customers, artisans and our partners.”  



Firdaus’ company shares a long association with the Kathiwada family. Seven decades ago, Pherozesha provided tiles to the Kathiwada Raajmahal. BFT’s association with the family came full circle, when Firdaus came on board to supply tiles for their Mumbai home.



Firdaus’ passion lies in the collections that take him back to the roots and states of India. He singles out the ‘Made in India’ collection as a personal favourite. BFT’s foray into lifestyle products with mirrors, lamps, clocks, desktop items and soon-to-be-launched carpets – lends itself to the collection.

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Favourite thing to do in the city

Art Night Thursdays

My indulgence

A good steak, every now and then

How I unwind

Going for bike rides or hikes around the city

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Sannaayaah Baldota

Founder & CEO, Manifest My Dreams

Pune-born Sannaayaah Baldota only made Mumbai her home six months ago, after she got married. A national-level tennis player, Sannaayaah has always relied on meditation, visualisation techniques and manifestation to achieve her academic and sporting goals. Having completed her undergraduate studies from Warwick University, UK, and earning a degree in business and finance from Duke University, USA, Sannaayaah combines her fine business acumen with her understanding of spiritual concepts.



The 29-year-old entrepreneur’s journey began rather osmotically. Growing up in a joint family, visiting temples and learning rituals from her grandmother are her fondest  early memories. At 13, Sannaayaah had the opportunity to attend her first mind-power workshop, where she learnt about the power of the subconscious from Dr Snehal Desai in Ahmedabad. At 21, she applied the knowledge while setting up a fitness studio in Pune, before joining the mergers and acquisitions team at Ernst & Young.



However, it was a two-year-long integrative wellness course in New York that truly forged her path. Approach to health, she learnt, is not just eating right. Emotional, mental, financial and spiritual wellbeing are even more pertinent. It inspired her  to create an anchor for her dopamine-driven peer group that has accepted anxiety and stress as a barter for everyday life. Sannaayaah hoped to make the law of attraction accessible and make mindfulness seem like a less daunting task.



To make this philosophy a concrete endeavour, she set up Manifest My Dreams in November 2021.

The company specialises in making accessible and affordable manifestation kits – akin to a pooja box – that contain crystals, a journal, a candle, and a sage stick. The tools help the person to arrive at a certain level of consciousness to help go inward and surrender to the higher power. The aim is to help the person to rewire their subconscious mind and create the shifts they so wish.



Her intent is to show her peers that there are tools available to practise mindfulness, which is not just crucial in surviving but for thriving in today’s challenging times. Her mantra is: “instead of focussing on the external craziness, work on your inner calm and wellbeing. Do the inner work and the outer world will manifest itself.”



Sannaayaah’s own event – M Fest, held at the Kathiwada City House on June 19 – stands as testimony to the fact that it works. She feels fortunate to have collaborated with her Neuro Coach, Saloni Suri, for her first event. “I visualised every minute of the event. Our intention is to help as many people as we can. We launched the event on June 2, and it was completely sold out. That’s the power of manifestation,” she affirms.

Favourite thing to do in the city

Watching the rains from Kathiwada City House with a cup of steaming mocha

My indulgence

A long, hot stone massage

How I unwind

Candles, journaling and soft music

Past Events

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Experimental dance performer Gia Singh Arora created a special piece in response to artist Saviya Lopes' installation, 'Birthday Suit'

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An immersive Sound Bath session conducted by sound healing therapist Punita Kadam

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Aparna Piramal Raje, author of ‘Chemical Khichdi: How I Hack My Mental Health’, conducted a LEGO Serious Play workshop

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Misho x Araku sure made for a vibrant evening over coffee and a selection of exquisite jewellery

Archive Corner

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The Maharaja of Porbandar Natwarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib Bahadur (right) was married to the Princess of Limbdi, aunt to the Yuvrani of Kathiwada. The first captain of India, he led the Indian Cricket Team on the tour of England in 1932. A historic event for Indian cricket marking it as India's first ever test tour. He participated in four fixtures, but it is learnt that he later gave up captaincy to C.K. Nayudu. He is seen here, perhaps sharing an anecdote with his counterpart at the coin toss before a fixture.

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Kathiwada City House

69, Sir Pochkhanawala Road,

Worli, Mumbai 400 030. India.


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+91 93728 59864
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