A longing to find his ancestral roots drove a Mauritian citizen, Ramrup Jagannath, to a remote village of Odisha’s Jajpur district. At first, his quest to find his place in the world ended in disappointment, but with the help of the Jajpur district administration and his immense faith in Bhagwan Jagannath, Ramrup Jagannath finally located his village in Jajpur district on his fourth attempt.
His love for India, for his own traditional, cultural roots, poured out when he collected some soil and decided to take it back with him to Mauritius. “Today was special for me. I’m taking the soil with me,” Ramrup Jagannath told media.
Ramrup Jagannath’s ancestor moved to Mauritius in 1870, nearly 155 years ago or rather, the British took them there to do manual labour.
“They became Girmitya, i.e. indentured labourers,” Ramroop Jagannath said while discussing his family history with media. “The British used to register then. When you visit any country, there is usually a registration process. The name of the person who went there. The name of the immigrant.
The British used to give a number. Which country did they use to go to. Their father’s and mother’s names. And which boat they went on. Everything is written there. What is written here? What is the address? Yes, the address is written there, Village, Jajpur. District, Cuttack. There is one additional information. It is called Pragana. That is Mulgaon. This time I can say,” he said.
Ramrup Jagannath attempts to trace his ancestral home, which he visited in 2012, 2015, and 2019, but nothing significant occurred during those trips. He was encouraged by his friends to make a fourth trip to the country. He did find his village this time, but his quest is far from over.
“I have found the village, but my family has left it,” he said. Ramroop Jagannath remains optimistic, and with the help of the district administration, he will one day reconnect with his long-lost family.
At last, he urged the Indian government to support his community, which he estimated consisted of around 3,000 people in Mauritius, in building a Jagannath Mandir there. “There are three thousand people in (Mauritius). We want to build a Jagannath Mandir. I request the government to extend help for it,” he said.
Jajpur District Collector Ambar Kumar Kar has assured him of further support in his quest to reconnect with his family, urging him to return to Odisha whenever he wishes.
(with inputs from ANI)
