"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
10 Nov 2022
If you ever visit the Jambur village in Gujarat, you will be in for a surprise. People in this village have typical African features and they seem to be of African descent, yet they converse in fluent Gujarati!
Jambur village, which is situated around 20 km from Gir, is therefore called the African village in Gujarat as for centuries, the Siddi communities of African origin have dwelled here.
They are thought to have initially arrived in India during the seventh century, and more might have arrived during the Arab conquest. Some were traders and sailors, while others were slaves who were transported to India.
For these individuals, India is their home and they no longer know or remember their native African tongue. They can now easily converse in clear Gujarati language. The majority of them were transported to India as slaves by the Portuguese, and if reports are to be believed, they are the direct descendants of the Bantu Tribe.
The interesting thing about this community is that they must only marry inside their group, therefore their genetic diversity is constrained to that group. They acquired this distinct African appearance because of this trait. But when it comes to traditions, they often adhere to Gujarati customs and have largely forgotten their ancestors' culture and traditions.
