WHEN Ambaram Dayaram left India, his eldest daughter was born into a world where her father was already thousands of kilometres away.
Years later, when he returned to India to bring his family to Fiji, the little girl he had left behind was nine years old.
The years of separation reflected the sacrifices made by many early migrants who left their homeland in search of a better future.
For Ambaram, building a life in Fiji meant being separated from his wife and daughter during some of their most important years.
There were no mobile phones, no instant messages and no easy way to remain connected across the ocean.
Letters were the only form of communication, and letters from India and Fiji often took weeks or even months to reach families.
For the Dayaram family, it was a period shaped by patience, uncertainty and sacrifice.
Meridian Store managing director Champak Lal Dayaram said the reality faced by earlier generations was very different from today’s world of technology.
“In those days there was no phone. There was no contact like how we have today,” he said.
“People had to depend on letters. Sometimes they had to wait a long time before they knew what was happening with their families.”
Mr Dayaram said the separation was one of the biggest sacrifices made by his grandfather, Ambaram Dayaram, who had to establish himself in Fiji before bringing his family over.
“He left India first because he had to create a foundation here.
“He had to find work, build a home and make sure there was something for his family before bringing them to Fiji.”
The journey of the Dayaram family in Fiji began with the arrival of Dayaram Fakir in early 1926.
After travelling by ship from India, he started operating near the current location of Meridian Store.
At the time, the area was a sub-lease held by a Girmitiya named Mathura Prasad.
After establishing himself, Dayaram Fakir later secured a lease from the Mataitoga Clan at Sepo Dalo, Navarada, Wairiki, Taveuni.
It was there that he established Dayaram Store, which would eventually become known as Meridian Store.
However, behind the growth of the business was a story of separation and sacrifice.
Ambaram Dayaram, the only son of Dayaram Fakir, continued the family’s work in Fiji while his wife and daughter remained in India.
Born on December 13, 1919, in Navsari, India, Ambaram understood that creating a future for his family required difficult decisions.
For several years, he lived alone in Fiji while working to build stability.
His family remained in India, waiting for the day they would finally be reunited.
After the Second World War ended, Ambaram returned to India in 1946 to bring his wife and daughter to Fiji.
By then, his eldest daughter Sharda Ben was nine years old.
For the young girl, the journey would be her first experience outside India and the beginning of a new life in an unfamiliar country.
In July 1947, Sharda Ben and her mother, Mrs Narbada Ben, boarded the MV Strathnaver from Bombay.
The voyage was long and challenging.
The ship travelled through Colombo, Singapore, Fremantle, Adelaide and Melbourne before finally reaching Suva, Fiji.
The journey lasted about two months, carrying the family towards a country they would eventually call home.
Mr Dayaram said the courage shown by his grandmother and aunt during that journey was something the family continued to remember.
“They were leaving everything they knew behind. They were coming to a place that was completely different, but they had faith and courage.”
When they finally arrived in Fiji, their journey was not immediately over.
The family spent 30 days in quarantine at Nukulau Island before they were allowed to continue north.
From Suva, they travelled to Taveuni aboard the MV Yanawai, making their way to Wairiki, where Ambaram had established his life.
For Mrs Narbada Ben, arriving in Taveuni was a major adjustment.
She had grown up in India, and Fiji presented a completely different environment.
There was no electricity, no running water and food supplies came only once a month.
Life in Wairiki was simple and difficult, but Mrs Narbada Ben adapted with strength and determination.
Mr Dayaram said she was a very strong woman.
“She came to a new country, faced many challenges, but she supported the family and helped build the foundation for the future.”
Her contribution was not only within the home but also in supporting the growth of the family business.
At a time when many responsibilities fell on women within migrant households, Narbada Ben played an important role in ensuring the family remained strong.
The success of Dayaram Store was built through the combined efforts of generations.
While the men worked to expand the business, she provided the support and stability needed behind the scenes.
Mr Dayaram said the sacrifices made by earlier generations should never be forgotten.
“When we look at where we are today, we must remember the people who built the foundation.
“They came with challenges, but they had determination. They worked hard because they wanted a better future for their children.”
Over the years, Dayaram Store became more than just a place of business.
It became part of the Taveuni community.
Generations of families visited the store, and it became connected with everyday life on the island.
The business later became known as Meridian Store, continuing the legacy started almost a century ago.
For the Dayaram family, the store represents more than commercial success.
It represents migration, perseverance and the ability to create opportunities in a new country.
The photographs of Ambaram Dayaram, Narbada Ben and the early years of Meridian Store remain valuable records of a changing Fiji.
They show a time when families faced uncertainty but continued to work towards a better future.
The story of Sharda Ben’s journey at nine years old is a reminder of the courage of migrant families.
A young girl who left India in 1947 became part of a family legacy that continues to live on in Taveuni.
The distance between India and Fiji once seemed impossible to overcome.
But through determination, sacrifice and resilience, the Dayaram family built a connection between two countries.
Mr Dayaram said the lessons from the past continued to guide the family today.
“The older generation taught us that success does not come overnight. It comes through patience, hard work and dedication.
“They built something for the next generation, and we have a responsibility to continue that legacy.”
More than seven decades after that voyage across the ocean, the journey of a nine-year-old girl remains an important part of the Meridian Store story.
It is a story of family, migration and sacrifice.
A story of a father who left India to build a future, a daughter who crossed the ocean to join him, and a family that transformed hardship into a legacy that continues to serve the people of Taveuni.
