Jairambhai Dayabhai Chauhan Bytco (1885–1978), better known by name J. D. C. Bytco, was a railway and civil contractor, industrialist and philanthropist based at

Nasik Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari River, Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sit ...

, India.

Background

Jairam was born to Dayabhai Chauhan in 1885Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya Samaj : A brief History & Glory : by Raja Pawan Jethwa. (2007) Calcutta. in Kumbharia in Kutch, British India. He belonged to Mestri community of Kutch.''Nanji Bapa ni Nondh-pothi'' published in Gujarati language in 1999 from Vadodara. It is a diary of railway Contracts done by KGK community noted by Nanji Govindji Tank during his life-time last entry in 1954. The diary was later discovered by his son Govardhan Nanji Tank and released as a book compiled by Dharsibhai Jethalal Tank. This book was given the Aank Sidhhi Award by Kutch Shakti at Mumbai in 2000. Life sketch of Jairam Dahya Chauhan, Nasik and Kumbharia pp:84 His father Dahya Vira Chauhan was also a railway contractor. Jayram Dahya carried on his father's legacy as a railway contractor and later became an industrialist. He founded J. D. Bytco Limited, an oral health-care and herbal product manufacturing company, that produces gripe water, tooth powder and other oral and baby care products. He ventured in the hotel industry, founded Bytco Cinema Hall and was at a time one of the top industrialists of

. A main square of Nashik is named Bytco Point after him. He died in 1978 at Nasik.

Charitable deeds

In later years of his life he gave away much of his wealth to charities. In 1971, he founded the Muktidham temple complex at

Nashik Road Nashik Road (sometimes referred to as Nasik Road) is a suburb of Nashik that contains the city's railway station. The name 'Nashik Road' was originally used for the town surrounding the station (about 8 km or 5 miles southwest from the heart ...

, which has a replica of twelve ''

Jyotirlinga A Jyotirlinga () or Jyotirlingam is a devotional representation of the Hindu god Shiva. The word is a Sanskrit compound of ('radiance') and ('sign'). The Śiva Mahāpurāṇam (also ''Shiva Purana'') mentions 64 original ''jyotirlinga'' ...

s'', temple of

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

and other deities within its temple complex and is one of the tourist attractions of the town. He took personal interest in building of Muktidham temple and also employed the services of the painter Raghubir Mulgaonkar for beautification of temple complex. The Muktidham complex also houses a

dharamshala Dharamshala (, ; also spelled Dharamsala) is a town in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It serves as the winter capital of the state and the administrative headquarters of the Kangra district since 1855. The town also hosts the Tibeta ...

, which can accommodate at least 200 pilgrims. He also built a Hindu crematorium near Muktidham. He also donated land and money to start Jairambhai High School, D. D. Bytco Higher Secondary School, Smt R. J. Chauhan High School, J. D. Bytco Commerce & Science College & J.D.C. Bytco Institute of Management & Higher Studies in Nashik. He also donated money to start a hospital, which is now named Jairam Hospital & Research Center, located in Nasik Road near Muktidham temple. Also at Kumbharia in Kutch, he built a

, donated funds to rehabilitation of their

kuldevi A ''kuladevata'' (), also known as a ''kuladaivaṃ'' (), is an ancestral tutelary deity in Hinduism and Jainism. Such a deity is often the object of one's devotion (''bhakti''), and is coaxed to watch over one's clan (''kula''), gotra, family, ...

temple and the founding of a primary and secondary school. He founded the Jairambhai Dayabhai Chauhan (Bytco) Charitable Trust, through which he carried on his charitable activities. The trust still continues to donate monies for charitable works, scholarships and research works and is now managed by his sons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bytco, J. D. C. 1885 births 1978 deaths Businesspeople from Maharashtra People from Nashik Gujarati businesspeople Founders of Indian schools and colleges People from Kutch district 20th-century Indian philanthropists