LUCKNOW: In an emotional gathering marked by cheers and tears, a reunion in Dehri village of Jaunpur district on Saturday brought together descendants of a family believed to have gone their separate ways during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
The reunion, “Brahmin Kul Milan”, brought Brahmins from Kashi and Jaunpur together at the residence of Naushad Ahmad Dubey, state president of Vishal Bharat Sansthan.
According to the family history shared at the gathering, Naushad’s ancestor Lal Bahadur Dubey lived in Rani Ki Sarai in Azamgarh about eight generations ago. During Aurangzeb’s rule, Lal Bahadur is believed to have converted to Islam and settled in Dehri village. He later became a zamindar after purchasing the Dehri zamindari from Hazari Singh.
Other members of Lal Bahadur’s family and their relatives left Rani Ki Sarai and dispersed across Jaunpur and other parts of Purvanchal. Over generations, the families lost touch and their ancestral connections faded.
The connection resurfaced when Naushad used the surname “Dubey” on his daughter’s wedding invitation card. The reference to Lal Bahadur Dubey prompted several relatives to trace their ancestral roots, eventually uncovering previously unknown links between Naushad’s family and several Hindu Brahmin families.
Shailendra Shukla of Jaunpur said Naushad was related to him through his paternal aunt’s side. Vivek Mishra of Varanasi said Naushad was connected to his maternal side and would be regarded as his maternal uncle.
Rajiv Sriguruji, national president of Vishal Bharat Sansthan and a historian, played a key role in tracing the family history. His research team spent four years identifying ancestral links between Naushad, his relatives and families across Purvanchal.
As part of the reunion, Naushad hosted a traditional “Bhoj-Bhat” feast, a Purvanchal custom associated with family gatherings. Relatives from various places travelled to Dehri village for the event.
Mahant Prabhu Ramdas, Peethadhishwar of Badku Hanuman Ji Ashram, said blood, lineage, DNA and family ties united people and that different streams of worship could not separate blood relations. He said Naushad was an elder of the family and would always be respected.
During the feast, members of the Brahmin community sat together while members of the Muslim Brahmin family served the food. The gathering was described as a message of unity against divisions based on religious identity.
The feast followed embraces and pledges to remain in touch and not let the families become separated again. Senior RSS pracharak and central functionary Vijay Sharma, who was invited by Naushad, also attended the feast.
Sriguruji said reconnecting with one’s roots helped people rediscover long-lost relatives and strengthened the country’s social fabric. Vishal Bharat Sansthan, he said, would continue efforts to trace and reunite such families.
