Mauritian athletes who took part in Ahmedabad trace their roots back to Bihar,Tamil Nadu
Ahmedabad : For many young people in Mauritius, India is a place they have heard about in family stories but never seen. The names of ancestral villages in states like Bihar and Tamil Nadu have faded over generations, family records have been lost, and what remains are fragments of a journey that began more than a century ago when their forebears crossed the Indian Ocean in search of a new life.
This week, however, the first-ever World Yogasana Championships in Ahmedabad became an unlikely bridge between those distant memories and a new generation eager to understand where they came from.
Among those making the journey were Mauritian athletes ChethnaaReesaul, Parineeti Kalkah and GanishaBajah, all of whom trace their roots to Bihar. AaryaChelumbrun’s family is from Tamil Nadu, while Dakshesh Sai Joorun’s mother is from Tamil Nadu while his father’s side traces its origins to Bihar.
For all five athletes, the trip to Ahmedabad was about much more than competing on the world stage. It was their first opportunity to set foot in the country their ancestors once called home.
For 19-year-old ChethnaaReesaul, who competed in the senior category, the championships became far more than a sporting event.
“I know that my family has roots in Bihar, but I don’t know exactly which part of the state my ancestors came from. My grandmother told me about our Indian connection, but I never really looked into it because I was focused on my studies and sports,” she said.
Like many members of Generation Z in Mauritius, Chethnaa and her 13-year-old schoolmate GanishaBajah grew up hearing stories about India from grandparents and older family members. Yet India remained a distant concept — part history, part family folklore.
Coming to Gujarat changed that.
Walking through Ahmedabad, hearing Indian languages spoken around them and experiencing the country’s culture firsthand transformed something abstract into something real.
“Now that I have visited India, I would definitely like to learn more about my roots in the future,” Chethnaa said. “I would love to come back, visit Bihar and perhaps bring my family with me so we can explore our heritage together.”
For Ganisha, the trip sparked a similar curiosity.
“Growing up, we always knew that our ancestors came from India, but it felt like something that belonged to the past. Being here has made that connection feel real. It has made me want to learn more about my family history and understand where our story began,” she said.
The connection to Bihar extended beyond the athletes.
Accompanying the Mauritian contingent were Deputy Rector Reena Dewkarun and educator-coach Disha Nekitsing, both of whom also trace their family origins to Bihar. Their presence reflected a larger story shared by countless Mauritian families whose ancestors migrated from India generations ago but continued to preserve elements of their heritage through traditions, language, food and family narratives. For them too, the visit carried emotional significance.
The World Yogasana Championships provided an opportunity not only to guide young athletes but also to visit the country their forebears once left behind. Their journey highlighted the enduring cultural links between Mauritius and India—connections that have survived oceans, time and generations.
The athletes themselves represent the rich diversity of the Indian diaspora in Mauritius. While Chethnaa, Parineeti and Ganisha, who study together at Mahatma Gandhi Senior Secondary School in Nouvelle France, proudly acknowledge their Bihar roots, Dakshesh embodies a connection to multiple parts of India through his family heritage.
Twelve-year-old AaryaChelumbrun, who lives in Grand Bois, traces her ancestry to Tamil Nadu, underscoring the varied Indian influences that continue to shape Mauritian society.
Ironically, it was yoga — a practice born in India and embraced across the world — that became the vehicle for this cultural reconnection.
Chethnaa herself only began practicing Yogasana in January this year. What started as preparation for competition soon evolved into a passion. “Yoga has made me calmer, more patient and more focused,” she said. “It has helped me develop discipline and balance in my daily life.”
That journey mirrors the larger story of the Mauritian delegation. Yoga travelled from India to distant shores, became part of communities abroad and has now brought descendants of Indian migrants back to the land of their ancestors.
According to members of the delegation, many young Mauritians of Indian origin know that their ancestors came from India but often have limited information about the exact villages or regions they belonged to.
Over generations, records were lost and family memories faded. Events such as the Yogasana World Championships are therefore creating opportunities for younger generations to reconnect with a heritage that has largely been preserved through stories passed down within families.
Inside the competition arena, athletes from different continents battled for medals. Outside it, some were quietly rediscovering pieces of their own identity.
For the Mauritian team, the first World Yogasana Championships became more than a sporting event. It became a homecoming of sorts—a chance for athletes, coaches and educators to reconnect with a heritage that had long lived in stories, memories and family conversations.
As Chethnaa, Parineeti, Ganisha, Aarya and Dakshesh return to Mauritius, they will carry more than competition experience and international exposure. They will take back a renewed curiosity about their roots and a deeper connection to a land many had previously known only through the voices of their grandparents.
“For me, this is one of the most unexpected legacies of the inaugural Yogasana world championships,” Ganisha said. “It is not just about bringing nations together through sport. It is also about helping a new generation like us rediscover where our story began.”
