By Tupou Vaipulu Jr.
A well-known local businessman and the founder of Lalita Store, Chimanlal Gandalal “Simani” (81), passed away at his home at Ma'ufanga, Tongatapu, on 17 September 2024 after a short illness. His funeral was held on Saturday.
“Lalita Store had a humble beginning, starting off small, across where the Sonasi gas station in town is today,” a family member told Matangi Tonga.
Chimanlal Gandalal was a travelling businessman based in Suva, Fiji, and first visited Tonga in the 1960’s for work, where he met the Prema family who were already well established in the Kingdom.
He married Karson Prema’s eldest daughter, Lalita, and they settled in Suva where they had two children; son Dharmesh and daughter Dimple.
The family later moved to Tonga and settled in Ma’ufanga while working for Prema & Sons and their children attended Tonga High School.
Lalita Store
Simani and Lalita were happy working for Prema and Sons but over the years, the couple saw an opportunity to start their own business and opened Lalita Store in 1986.
Their son Dharmesh, joined the business full time in the early 1990s and as the business grew, the family moved the store to larger premises, located in the CBD on the corner of Wellington Road and Railway Road. In 2004 their daughter-in-law Reshma, from Suva, joined the business, and had their first grandson Hamish.
In 2005 Lalita passed away and that was the start of what the family called the end of their “chain of happy events”.
In 2006, the family were devastated when Lalita Store was among the busineses razed by fire in the November CBD riots. Both the loss of Lalita and her namesake store forced the family to leave Tonga and move to Auckland, New Zealand, where they stayed for about four years.
Return
Still, the family did not give up on the business and decided to take a loan from the bank to rebuild the store.
Simani and his son returned to Tonga and worked hard to rebuild the store and in 2010, Lalita Store was reopened and the family moved back to Tonga.
In 2011, the family had an addition, Dharmesh and Reshma’s second son Aum.
Eventually, Simani was happy with the product of his hard work and stepped back, letting his son take over the business, while advising him from the side.
Simani made many friends in Tonga and was a father-figure to many of his staff. He was also a proud member of the Royal Nuku’alofa Club.
“He was the best father, father-in-law, grandfather and a good friend to the many who knew him. He has left his mark on many lives that he came across,” said his grandson.
