Woman comes from Sweden to Mysuru to trace her roots, family

Adopted by a Swedish family in 1992 when she was seven, 39-year-old Jolly Sandberg seeks public help 

Mysore/Mysuru: At 39 years old, Jolly Sandberg, born in Mysuru but adopted by a Swedish couple, the quest to find her biological parents has thus far been fruitless. On Thursday, she appeared before the media, holding onto hope that someone may come forward with information regarding her parents and relatives. 

Accompanied by her husband Erric, who works at a Golf Club as a Greenskeeper in Sweden, daughter Olivia Anjali and representatives from the Adoptees Rights Council, Jolly Sandberg, also known by her Indian name Janu, is actively seeking any leads that could connect her with relatives — cousins, aunts, uncles or other family members. 

At the press conference held at Pathrakarthara Bhavan, she shared her journey thus far and emphasised her deep longing to rediscover her roots.

Jolly’s early years began at ‘Ashraya,’ an adoption institution in Bengaluru, where she arrived at the age of five, alone. In 1992, she was adopted by a Swedish couple who brought her to their country when she was a seven-and-a-half-year-old girl.

Family tragedy

Following the tragic loss of her mother to suicide when she was around five, Jolly was placed under the care of a neighbour Jayamma from Maddur in Mandya district, who arranged her admission to St. Mary’s Convent, a boarding school in Bengaluru. Subsequently, she was transferred to the Ashraya Adoption Agency in Bengaluru, from where she was adopted by the Swedish couple.

“I seek to know my past to better understand myself. And, I wish to impart to my two-year-old daughter the story of my origins and introduce her to the homeland I hold dear, India,” Jolly said.

Reflecting on her experience adapting to life in Sweden, she said, “I always felt a sense of rootlessness in my new country. The people, language and customs were vastly different from what I knew. It was a daunting experience for an eight-year-old. Over time, I learned to adapt and suppress memories of my early years in India. However, as I grew older, the longing to uncover my true identity intensified.”

Search extends to Maddur

Jolly reached out to Arun Dohle, Director of Against Child Trafficking (ACT), Netherlands, and Advocate Anjali Pawar of Adoptees Rights Council, Pune, in 2017. Subsequently, she visited India in 2020.

“After an extensive search, it was discovered that Jolly Sandberg, previously known as Janu, was born on June 3, 1985, as the daughter of Vasantha from Maddur. Following her father’s tragic suicide and her mother’s subsequent remarriage to a man from Kayeesoppanabeedhi in Channapatna, Jolly’s upbringing was entrusted to her grandmother, Thimmamma.

Later, it came to light that Jolly’s mother, Vasantha, had committed suicide under unclear circumstances, at her second husband’s residence. Thimmamma was battling cancer and after her death, Jolly was placed under the care of Jayamma, a neighbour and Thimmamma’s friend in Maddur,” Anjali Pawar disclosed.

Despite visiting St. Mary’s Convent and Ashraya Adoption Agency in Bengaluru, their efforts revealed limited information. Jolly’s journey led her to Mysuru in the hope of tracing her father’s native village and locating any surviving relatives. “She recalls fond memories of playing with a baby elephant and enjoying a nearby large lake,” said Anjali Pawar.