In Rourkela’s Sahoo household, National days run within the blood

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR:  Every 12 months, August 15 provides the household of Rajesh Sahoo in Rourkela three causes to have fun. Not solely does his massive household of 10 observes India’s Independence but additionally celebrates the birthdays of two of its members from two completely different generations.

Rajesh’s father late Jai Hind Lal Sahoo was a Midnight’s Child, born a couple of minutes after India was declared an unbiased nation from the 200-year British Rule on August 15, 1947. Born right into a household of small-time jewellers in Birmitrapur of Sundargarh district, Jai Hind Lal additionally shared birthday together with his granddaughter and Rajesh’s daughter Janvi Sahoo who was born on the identical day within the 12 months 1998.

“My great grandparents used to sell silverware during festivals and melas in places like Panposh, Joda and Barbil prior to the Independence. My father had told us that he was named Jai Hind Lal because he was born a few minutes after India’s independence and the small town reverberated with slogans of Jai Hind”, says Rajesh, who owns the JaiHind & Sons Jewellers in Rourkela.

The jewelry store was established in 1951 by Rajesh’s grandparents who together with Jai Hind Lal shifted to Rourkela after work on the Rourkela Steel Plant started. “For many years, August 15 was a big affair at our house as the grandfather and granddaughter duo celebrated their birthdays together till my father passed away due to old-age related ailments in 2019”, says 55-year previous Rajesh.  

But that isn’t all. There’s extra to the times of National significance and birthdays within the household. Rajesh was born on January 26 – Republic Day – in 1966 and his youngest daughter Saanvi Sahoo took start on the Gandhi Jayanti day on October 2 within the 12 months 2012. 

“It is a happy coincidence that we are born on one or the other National days. The rest of my family members including my brother and his children are either born on Shivaratri, Rath Yatra or Dhanteras”, says Rajesh.