On the western coast of India in Mumbai city – the Mecca of Bonsai in India live Jyoti & Nikunj Parekh who have converted a vast number of Indians into Bonsai, Saikei and greenery enthusiasts. Between the two of them they tend their more than 1000 bonsai trees, tray landscapes at their terrace in Mumbai and at a farm located 70 km from Mumbai.

It was Jyoti who began experimenting with tropical trees in the early 1970’s which became an obsession and by 1977 resulted in TROPICAL BONSAI, the first book on Bonsai in the tropics. By 1979, the husband and wife team founded BONSAI STUDY GROUP of THE INDO-JAPANESE ASSOCIATION. Almost all the students, personalities and talented teachers in India at one time or another underwent training under the aegis of their group. For the two and a half decades they have been actively organizing and conducting events across India, by way of workshops, lecture demonstrations, and exhibitions. They have co-authored WONDERWORLD OF TROPICAL BONSAI and WONDERWORLD OF BONSAI & SAIKEI which are reference books for Botany students in Indian universities. Over the period of 30 years, they have introduced many new varieties of plants suitable for the tropics like Ficuses, Wrightias, Bucida spinosa and many more.

Widely traveled, both of them underwent training with Bonsai Masters Saburo Katoh, Susumu Nakamura, and Toshio Kawamoto. They were introduced to garden landscaping by late Mr.Kenzo Ogata of Japan. They have given demonstrations in the U.K., U.S.A., Sri Lanka, Europe and Hong Kong.

Since 1985, Nikunj is the editor of NICHIN BONSAI, a quarterly magazine. In 1986, they made a unique wall mural depicting scenery with well shaped perennial trees. In the summer of 1987, they created similar murals at International Bonsai Congress held at Minneapolis and also at Honolulu and New York in USA and London in U.K. and Heidelberg in Germany. In 1990 they created a wall mural at the World Horticulture Expo at Osaka and won a silver medal. They have led a group of Bonsai growers to USA, Japan, China, Taiwan, U.K., Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Thailand.

1989 was a landmark year when Nikunj was invited to be a director of World Bonsai Friendship Federation as a representative of South Asia Region after founding Bonsai Friendship Federation of India. In the year 2000, Nikunj was appointed a director of Bonsai Clubs International and later on appointed the first Ambassador of BCI in India.

Photo essays, features on Bonsai written by Jyoti & Nikunj have been published in leading newspapers, journals and periodicals not only in India but also by International Bonsai magazines. They have given a number of TV programmes on Bonsai, Gardening, Bottle gardening from time to time. Between two of them they have won the JAL World Bonsai contest in 1999, 2000 and 2005. In 2005, both of them conducted a workshop at the 5th World Bonsai Convention held in Washington D.C.

In the last three decades, Jyoti made a mark in the field of Vegetarian Cooking and has taught thousands of students with demonstrations in India, U.K., Belgium, Japan, Hong Kong, Canada & USA. She has authored a number of books on International and Indian cooking along with the art of fruit and vegetables carving. She has developed a skill in gift wrapping, and has authored a book on it.

They keep busy conducting workshops across India or tending their Bonsai in Mumbai or at their farm. On weekends they prefer to be amidst nature watching birds, growing organic vegetables, listening to music or sketching trees. In 2006, the Parekhs were publicly honoured at the famous Kishkindia Moolika Bonsai Garden in Mysore, India

From January 2009, they have founded ’Frangipani Garden Group’ to share knowledge on greenery, environment, gardening and horticulture.

On 12th July 2009, Jyoti and Nikunj, both were honored and presented with Gold Medals from WBFF (World Bonsai Friendship Federation) in Puerto Rico –USA, during the 5th World Bonsai Convention. This was presented to them for spreading the art of Bonsai in India and World. In the past three decades they got fifty seven awards, citations from various countries, organizations and groups.

Imbibing nature, the Parekhs have silently worked for thirty years promoting Bonsai Art, Greening Efforts, helping Adivasi school children with inputs, encouraging them to green their surroundings, medical camps, and painting Competitions.

They help in building bridges of friendship between people of India & Japan (particularly Mumbai-Yokohama Sister City Relationship.