PANDIT SAJEEWAN (1844-1907): An orthodox Hindu Priest and a social worker

Orissen Brahmin, orthodox Hindu Priest, social worker also called Sanjeewanlall was born in Orissa, India, in 1844. He came to Mauritius by the steamer, “Mozambique” from Calcutta Depot on April 4, 1866. His passenger number was 4996 for Sajeewan came as a free worker rather than Indentured Labourer. At first, he lived at Mahebourg. Later, he shifted to Vacoas and from there at last he went on to settle in Triolet Village, in the North of the Island where he got employment in the Public Works Department as a roadman. After working for some time as such, he left that job to become a middleman, and started buying and selling lands. He married Hamrith Boodhoo but had no children from that wedlock.

As he possessed an adventurous spirit in life, he took advantage of the “Grand Morcellement” that had started in 1880s in Mauritius. He bought 150 acres of land at Triolet from Jules Langlois at forty rupees per acres. Later he sold it in several lots and made huge profits out of it.

Pt. Sajeewan was a religious man and so he dedicated all his wealth to Lord Shiva. He started the construction of one of the most imposing ‘Shiva Temple” in Triolet in 1888. In three years’ time the temple was completed. It was a superb grand stone and cement structure, built on an elevated platform and its trident from base to dome measured ninety-feet. Several sub-buildings were also constructed to house the Hindu Pantheon. In between these years, Pt. Sanjeewan went to India several times, procured and brought several God-Statues. The inauguration of the “Mahashwarnath Temple” took place at a grand function in 1895. The renowned Pt. Daulatram Chaturvedi conducted the consecration ceremony.

Pt. Sanjeewan was a true devotee of Lord Shiva, and as such, he became the spiritual leader of the orthodox section of the Hindus in this island. It is through his initiative that on February 14, 1898, the first batch of eight pilgrims went to Grand Bassin to fetch the sacred water to pour it on Lord Shiva. This initiative of Pt Sanjeewan was to assume a national dimension in the twentieth century.

Pt. Sanjeewan was an open-hearted social worker. He had the habit of liberating the Indentured Brahmins from Indentureship, gave them shelter and found suitable employment for them. He was enthusiastic about religious dramas and encouraged the holding of Ramleela, Rassleela and Indursabha (epic folk dramas in relation to Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Lord Indra) and used to spend huge sums of money to erect open air pavillons every year on the occasion of the festivities associated with them. Sadavrat (pledge to distribute free food practised by generous Kings to mendicants) was undertaken from his household to unexpected guests throughout the year.

At first, as a learned Brahmin, he officiated as a priest for some years in his temple. But later, due to several social obligations amongst others, he stopped officiating as a priest, and instead appointed another priest to do so. Although he had several plans to innovate the temple complex, yet it seems that God’s will was not for their fulfilment during his lifetime. He passed away in February 25, 1907. He was cremated in the temple compounds next to his wife’s tomb.

Pt. Sanjeewan had donated 10.3 acres of land for this historic temple. The income from the land was to be served for the maintenance of the temple throughout the Year. After his death, “The Mahashwarnath Institute” was set up in 1911, in an august Assembly attended by Manilal Doctor (q. v.) and by Messrs Ramrakhasingh, Shivparsad Ramlall Tiwari, Lala Nundlall etc. according to Pt. Atmaram Vishwanath (q. v.). The management of the Institute had a few sub-temples constructed and a beautiful garden designed. This Shiv temple is still the pride of Indo-Mauritians.

References

“The Standard, Le Vrai Progrès Colonial”, Planters and Commercial Gazette, February 18, 1898.

“Hindu Mauritius” by Pt. Atmaram Vishwanath, 1936.

“Shive Ratri Festival Special Issue, Ganga Talao, Tirth Raj Ank” 1978.

“Mauritius Ka Adi Kavya Kanan” by Pahlad Ramsurrun, 1995.

“L’express”, February, 1998.

“Le Quotidien”, February 16 and 17, 1998.