| People
Mauritius is a densely populated island of around 1.2 million people. It is a plural society where all the ethnic groups present: Hindus, Muslims, Creoles, Chinese and Europeans live in peace and where all the ancestral cultures have been preserved. These features make the island a unique place in the world. Religion Mauritian society is noteworthy for its high degree of religious tolerance. Mauritians often share in the observances of religious groups other than their own. In part as a result of the multiplicity of religions, Mauritius has more than twenty national holidays. In addition, the government grants subsidies to all major religious groups according to their membership. According to the 1990 census, 49 percent of the population was Hindu, 27 percent Roman Catholic, 16 percent Muslim, and 0.5 percent Protestant; 7.5 percent belonged to other groups. Culture While many countries claim they are cosmopolitan, only a few really qualify. Mauritius is one of the rare authentically cosmopolitan societies. Where else could so many towns and villages boast of a Catholic church, a Muslim mosque, and a Hindu temple within walking distance from each other? And if you are lucky, you might even find a Chinese pagoda in the vicinity! One little-known cemetery at Bambous hosts a burial ground with a Muslim and a ... Jewish section!! A little history helps explain this peculiar mix. The French took over the island from the Dutch settlers (notorious for having eaten the Dodos down to the very last!) around 1715. The French brought over slaves from Africa (particularly from Senegal, Guinea, Mozambique and Madagascar) to work in the sugar-cane plantations. The Mauritian Creole, now in quasi-universal use on the island, probably evolved during those years as some sort of lingua franca between slaves and masters. The British became very interested in the island in the early eighteenth century because it provided the perfect transit for ships en route to India. The British eventually won the island over from the French in 1810. British rule was essentially administrative and the French colonists were allowed to stay. Things did not change much for the unfortunate African slaves until, yielding to the pressure of abolitionists, the colonists emancipated them in the 1830s-40s. To make up for this sudden labour shortage, the British brought indentured labourers from India (mainly Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat) to the island. Within a few decades, people of Indian origin were a majority in the island. The early twentieth century also saw the arrival of Chinese settlers (Hakka and Cantonese) who sought their fortune in retail trade. Mauritius earned its independence from Britain, following political disquiet in the 1960s. Since then the country has been under a constitutional rule particularly attentive to the political representation of the minorities and to their equal access to healthcare, education and employment. If anything, the twenty-five odd years since independence have seen a consolidation of ethnic identities, never, however, at the expense of the unity of the nation. And if you are still wondering about the Jewish cemetery at Bambous, here's the story. Jewish refugees from East Europe (Poland in particular) tried to reach Palestine in the early 1940s to escape the Nazi persecution. They travelled down the west coast of Africa, past the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean. They were taken by the British at this point, brought to Mauritius and made to stay there until the end of the war. Some of them died and were buried in Mauritius on a ground they share with Muslims. Language The languages are various in Mauritius: official language and the language taught at school is English while the French language dominates the public life. The colloquial language which is spoken by everyone is Creole. In many families one speaks also Indian languages, the Chinese Canton and the Arabian dialects. Mauritian Sega The Sega is a dance which originated from the ritual music of Madagascar and the mainland of Africa, and it is the Musical Expression of the Mauritian Way of Life: Joy, Carefree and Lively. Originally sung by men and women who had been sold as slaves but whose souls had remained sensitive to music, the Sega is nowadays a folksong which has integrated itself within the framework of our folklore. It is a cry from the soul trying to transcend the miseries and heartaches of life, while at the same time expressing the universal human desire for joy and happiness. It tells the joys and sorrows of the peasants and the fishing folks. It is a nostalgic heritage of the villagers. Its beats, gripping in intensity, now provide entertainment to Mauritians of all walks of life in towns and villages. Today the Sega and its beat are a part of every Mauritian's life. |
Holidays And Festivals There are 13 public holidays in the year, of which the following are fixed:
The remaining seven public holidays are religious festivals
whose dates vary from year to year.
FESTIVALS Mauritians celebrate a variety of festivals originating from three different continents. Maha Shivaratree (February) is literally "The Great Night of Siva." Hindu devotees set on foot pilgrimage from all over the island for the sacred lake at Grand Bassin, usually carrying a `Kanwar' - light wooden arches covered in flowers. At Grand Bassin, pilgrims collect holy water which is ritually poured over a statuette of Siva in re-enactment of the classical myth according to which Siva's throat had to be cooled down after he drank the poison from the oceans to spare mankind. The seas became poisoned during the churning of the ocean which, according to one creation myth, gave rise to the universe.
Father Laval: On September 9, people of all faiths
gather at the shrine of Father Jacques Desire Laval in Ste
Croix, Port-Louis. Father Laval was known both for his fight
to abolish slavery, and for possessing miraculous healing
powers. His shrine is still believed to possess healing
faculties and the pilgrimage to Ste Croix is somewhat
reminiscent of Lourdes.
Divali is celebrated in October/November and marks the
homecoming of Rama after his victory over Ravana and also
commemorates Krishna's destruction of the demon Narakasuran.
Clay oil lamps are placed inside and in front of every hindu
home, turning the island into a fairyland of flickering lights.
Holi: This Hindu festival is as colourful as
the numerous legends which inspire it - the most
popular of which is the destruction of the demon-king
Hiranyakashipu and of the evil Holika by Narasimha,
the half-man half-lion incarnation of Visnu. It is a
festival of revelry when men and women chase each
other, squirting coloured water and powder on one
another.
Cavadee: Cavadee is celebrated in
January/February primarily by Hindus of Tamil origin
in honour of Kartikeya, the elder son of Siva. Cavadee
is among the most impressive hindu events: devotees
with their tongues, cheeks and body pierced with
needles, hooks and skewers, dance their way
trance-like to the temple carrying the `Cavadee' - a
wooden arch covered with flowers with a pot of milk at
each end of its base. The Cavadee is placed before the
deity in the temple. At this point, despite the long,
hot trek the milk should not be curdled. For some, the
penance is even more harrowing because temples are
sometimes located on mountain slopes.
Ougadi is the Telegu New Year. It is usually
celebrated in March.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated by Hindus of
Marathi origin on the 4th day of the lunar month of
August/September, as the birthday of Ganesha, the
younger son of Siva, and traditionally the God of
wisdom and remover of all obstacles.
Id-El-Fitr marks the end of Ramadhan, the
Muslim holy month of fasting. Prayers are offered at
mosques during the day. |