Missing 26 Years Man Returns Home as Salim in Dharmasthala

26-Year Mystery Ends: Dharmasthala Man Returns Home as ‘Salim Abdul Ansari’ After Losing Identity in Maharashtra

Belthangady, June 12, 2026 (Mangalore Today News Network):
In an emotional and almost unbelievable reunion, a man missing from his family for 26 years has finally returned to his hometown near Dharmasthala in Belthangady taluk, bringing closure to a decades-long search that had left his family in pain and hope in equal measure.

The man, originally known as Satish, left home in the year 2000 at the age of 19 after joining a travelling circus troupe that had visited the Dharmasthala region. What began as a short-term journey soon turned into a lifelong separation from his family.

Life Lost in Time and Distance

After leaving Karnataka, Satish moved to Maharashtra, where he spent the next 26 years working in various jobs connected to the circus and later in informal labour. Over time, contact with his family faded completely.

As years passed, Satish reportedly began losing memory of his origins. He could not clearly recall his native village, relatives, or even the exact route back home. In Maharashtra, he eventually adopted a new identity—Salim Abdul Ansari—and started a new life, distancing himself unknowingly from his past.

During his time there, he married a woman named Talima, and the couple now has two children—Khushi and Azam.

The Turning Point: A Visit That Triggered Memories

The breakthrough came earlier this month when Salim visited the Dharmasthala region with friends from Maharashtra. A visit to the Dharmasthala Temple and surrounding areas unexpectedly triggered fragmented childhood memories.

He later revisited the exact grounds where a circus had once been held decades ago. This experience reportedly acted as a catalyst, helping him piece together forgotten parts of his past.

Realising that the place he was standing in was his native land, he began recalling names of his brothers and family members. Despite gaps in memory, these fragments were enough to push him to begin searching.

Determined Search Leads to Reunion

Salim started approaching local residents, shopkeepers, and long-time villagers in the area, asking about his family. After persistent inquiries, word eventually reached his relatives in Ashokanagar near Dharmasthala.

The emotional reunion that followed was described by locals as overwhelming. Family members who had spent decades hoping for his return finally embraced him after 26 long years of uncertainty.

A Mother’s Unbroken Faith

According to family members, Satish’s mother never gave up hope. She continued to pray for her missing son at multiple sacred sites, including Dharmasthala, Kateel, and Panolibail temples.

In recent years, despite her advanced age, she repeatedly urged her other sons to continue searching, expressing her desire to see Satish one last time. Family members now believe her unwavering faith played a role in his return.

A New Identity, A Complex Homecoming

The reunion, however, comes with emotional complexity. The man who returned is no longer just Satish. He is also Salim Abdul Ansari—a husband and father with a family in Maharashtra.

He now speaks only Hindi fluently, having forgotten Kannada and Tulu after spending decades away from Karnataka. Communication with his childhood friends and relatives is challenging, as language and time have created a deep gap.

A Life Rebuilding Two Worlds

Family members are now working to help him reconnect with his roots while also acknowledging the life he built elsewhere. Discussions are underway regarding how to balance both families and support a peaceful transition.

Locals say the story has left the entire region emotional, describing it as a rare case of identity loss, memory recovery, and reunion after decades of separation.

For the people of Dharmasthala, the return of Satish—now Salim—is being seen not just as a family reunion, but as a story of endurance, memory, and fate reconnecting after 26 years apart.