The Long Journey Home: Mauritian Man Returns To Odisha After 150 Years To Trace His Roots, Offers 'Pind Daan'
With moist eyes, Ramruj Juggurnauth, 64, performed 'Pind Daan' for his forefathers on the banks of Baitarani river, closing a circle that began in 1870.
Published : October 25, 2025 at 12:22 PM IST
|Updated : October 26, 2025 at 7:38 AM IST
By Gyana Ranjan Ojha
Jajpur: The journey that began in 1870 finally ended in 2025, coming full circle, on the banks of Baitarani river in Jajpur district.
It was that fateful Diwali more than a century ago, when a ship named Alam Ghiar left the port of Calcutta (now Kolkata), carrying 154 passengers and 49 crew members. Among them was a 25-year-old man from Jajpur called Jagannath Das, who went to Mauritius as an indentured labourer, since poverty had made life difficult for him.
One hundred and fifty-five years later, his fifth-generation descendant, Ramruj Juggurnauth, returned to the same soil to find where his ancestors once lived, prayed, and dreamt of a bright future.
“I came to Jajpur because I knew I belonged here. My heart has always been tied to this place. My uncle’s last wish was that his ashes be immersed here in the Baitarani river which was our ancestors’ lifeline. I wanted to fulfill that wish. Now I want to find the village that once was ours,” says the 64-year-old Ramruj in a quivering voice.
Traveling solo from Mauritius, Ramruj reached Bhubaneswar and proceeded to Jajpur where he performed the ‘Pind Daan’ (offering to ancestors) ritual for his grandfather at Sidheshwar Peeth, a sacred site near the Baitarani river. It was a sight worth watching as this was the first time locals watched in awe a person coming from a foreign land to offer Pind Daan, and chanting the mantras following the priest. The words, he sure did not understand, but his expressions certainly made it clear that he was deeply emotional during the rituals.
After the formalities were over, he met the District Magistrate Ambar Kumar Kar and senior officials of the administration to seek assistance in tracing his family’s ancestral village. The district administration, moved by his story, has assured full cooperation.
Besides, a culture enthusiast, Prakash Nayak and the priest Biswajit Dixit, have joined him in the search, sorting through old records, village maps, and temple archives.
“Between 1840 and 1870, nearly 3,500 Odias went to Mauritius. Many were from Jajpur. Over time, they settled there and married across communities. Gradually, their descendants lost the language. But Ramruj is here to reconnect, and we will cooperate with him to get him his Odisha identity,” says Prakash Nayak.
According to official records, Jagannath Das had worked under Raffrey Brothers in Pitton in Mauritius before serving another term with Gourez & Co. He died in 1912 at the age of 62, leaving behind two sons and two daughters. His descendants continued to speak Odia for four generations, until the language became redundant with growing Mauritian connect in the 1990s.
Yet, the emotional bond stayed intact. “Even today, Odia culture flows in our blood. My ancestors went to Mauritius driven by poverty. They suffered a lot. But gradually things turned in their favour and they lived with dignity. I want to know where they lived, trace the roots and complete the circle,” says Ramruj.
Dr. Subrat Kumar, a senior official who has been assisting the search, explains that this migration story has been a constant narrative in the state. “Odisha faced famine and deprivation in the 1860s which led to large scale migration. Many left in desperation and others voluntarily sought work under British contracts,” he said adding, Ramruj’s return is an indication of how people want to track the forgotten journey.
As Ramruj performed the final rituals for his forefathers by the Baitarani river under the supervision of temple priest Biswajit Dixit, people gathered to witness the sight. “Usually we forget immediate families when we go far in search of work. But here is a man who has taken a long journey to reach the place where he belongs and his ancestors lived 150 years ago. This is not normal, it is a tribute to our culture,” he said.
The district administration has been working to trace his ancestral village through old land and port records. “He has all the historical documents. So we will coordinate with local officials and researchers to help him locate his roots,” Kumar said.
Ramruj will be in Jajpur for a week and visiting nearby villages to search the place his ancestors lived in. His journey covering oceans is not going to end before he locates what he calls ‘home’ in the true sense of the term.
As he folds his hands before Maa Biraja in Her temple, his eyes moisten and he says, “I have come here with a lot of hope. I know with the blessings of the Maa, I will find what my heart has been searching for.”
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