When Manoj Kumar Opened Up About His Ancestral Roots In Mathura: 'I Am One Of You All'
A lesser-known aspect of late actor Manoj Kumar's life has come to light, revealing a deep connection to the city of Mathura.
Veteran actor Manoj Kumar, who passed away on Friday morning in Mumbai, had deep-rooted connections with Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna. According to information shared by Kumar himself, his ancestors hailed from Mathura's Mant area before migrating to Abbottabad (now in Pakistan) approximately 700 years ago.
The actor, who died at the age of 87, revealed these details during the inauguration of the 'Sangeet Shiromani Swami Haridas Music and Dance Festival' in Vrindavan over 15 years ago, locals say.
It was on this occasion that Kumar, a recipient of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, opened up about his ancestral ties to the region and his family's origins in Mathura. Acharya Gopi Goswami, the secretary of the organising committee for the Vrindavan event, recalled the actor's words.
In his inaugural speech at the event, Kumar expressed his connection with the area, stating, "You people would not know that I am also one of you all. I am from Mathura and our ancestors were originally from this district." The statement took the audience by surprise. Manoj Kumar quickly clarified, sharing that his ancestors had migrated from Mathura to Abbottabad nearly seven centuries ago.
The actor also spoke about his family's continued connection to Vrindavan. Goswami noted that Kumar, a Saraswat Brahmin from the Mant area, had explained that one branch of his family had migrated to Abbottabad while another had settled in Multan.
Interestingly, Goswami also highlighted that Swami Haridas, who is credited with revealing the idol of Thakur Bankebihari, was also a Saraswat Brahmin from the same region and the descendants of his family are entrusted with the service and worship of the deity to this day.
"Manoj Kumar was a descendant of the Abbottabad branch of Saraswat Brahmins. His family later settled in Delhi after the partition of India, just like millions of other Hindu families," Goswami shared.
Kumar, whose birth name was Hari Kishan Goswami, had openly discussed his heritage, adding that his roots traced back to a village near Mant in Mathura.
The Mant area, known for its concentration of Saraswat Brahmins, is home to several villages like Gadhi Gauhanpur and Begampur, where descendants of Swami Haridas also reside.
These villages are integral to the heritage of the Brahmin community, especially those connected to the Garib Dasiya tradition, to which Manoj Kumar's family belonged, Goswani said.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
Top Headlines
