On Tuesday 6th of September 2022, our dear mother, Hussanara Chowdhury peacefully returned to her creator. Words will never be able to do justice to her character. However, we would like to give everyone a glimpse of what a truly remarkable woman she was. A loving wife, mother of 8, grandmother of 24 and a great grandmother of 4! She reigned over our family like a queen and like a queen she emobodied justice, mercy, empathy and fairness. She was fiercely intelligent with warrior instincts when it came to protecting her clan.

She was adored within the Cambridge community for her numerous charitable acts that she was involved in over the past 45 years together with her late husband, Syed Abdul Hekim, (founder of the famous Taj Tandoori restaurant in Cambridge) who also sadly passed away the year before. After losing her beloved husband she was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Even with this devastating illness she remained true to her character and maintained her generosity and kindness. One of her final acts 2 days before her passing was to instruct the family to give charity to a person she remembered from the past that had been diagnosed with cancer. Inspired by our mother's love of charity, we are opening The Dolly Foundation. Dolly was the nickname aptly given to her by our grandfather because of her petite structure and doll like features. To launch this noble venture, the Taj Tandoori will pledge to give 2.5% of their turnover to The Dolly Foundation anually, which means that everyone who dines at the restaurant will also be giving charity while enjoying a meal. Our vision is to build wells, fund schools, support orphanages and help individuals in need with a focus on cancer sufferers. We have created this page for anyone who would like to join us in this endeavour and help continue the legacy left behind by our Amma and Abba, Hussanara Chowdhury and Syed Abdul Hekim.

Lovingly yours,

The 8 children of Hussanara & Syed