HERITAGE
INSPIRED by the history of his forefathers, Vejeand Dessai recently set out on a quest to find out where he came from. After months of tracking and tracing, he was led to his ancestral village in India.
The 59-year-old graphic designer of Summerveld in Durban said the search started with family heirlooms.
“My great-grandmother, Etwaria, had a jata (grain grinder), which we still have, and a lorha and sil for grinding spices. My late mother, Dowlathy Dessai, also gifted my wife handmade silver jewellery,” said Dessai.
He said in 1980, his late father, Vishnu Dessai, began researching the origins of these items. This led him to the Department of Indian Affairs, where he learnt more about his lineage.
“My father received information about his
