Odia diaspora in Mauritius seeks ancestral ties at PBD

KENDRAPARA: As Bhubaneswar prepares to host the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) from January 8-10, 2025, descendants of Odia indentured labourers in Mauritius are seizing the opportunity to reconnect with their ancestral roots after 150 years of separation.

Ramroop Jugurnauth, 63, a former civil servant from Mauritius represents this unique diaspora connection. His ancestor, Jagannath Das from Jajpur district was among the 3,116 Odias who migrated to Mauritius between 1842 and 1871 as part of the larger Indian indenture system that began in 1834.

“We, the Mauritians of Odia ancestry, are proud of our ancestors’ land and would wish, like other descendants from UP and Bihar, to be able to look for our Odia roots and families and to contribute to the development of our ancestral villages,” says Jugurnauth, who resides in Beau Bassin with his family.