:Hinduism in Mauritius

{{Historical populations

|type =

|footnote =

|1871 | 132,652

|1881 | 202,281

|1891 | 209,079

|1901 | 206,131

|1911 | 202,716

|1921 | 201,895

|1931 | 202,192

|1944 | 203,709

|1952 | 241,660

|1962 | 332,851

|1972 | 421,707

|1983 | 506,486

|1990 | 535,028

|2000 | 585,210

|2011 | 600,327

|2022 | 605,000

|align=left}}The European colonial powers banned slave capture and trading in the first half of the 19th century. The British Empire banned them in the early decades of the 19th century. However, demand kept rising for low cost, high intensity labor in colonial plantations of sugarcane, cotton, tobacco and other cash crops. The British Empire substituted the slave labour supplies from Africa with indentured labour supplies from India.{{cite book|author=Paul Younger|title=New Homelands: Hindu Communities in Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad, South Africa, Fiji, and East Africa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F0X9eLq57ocC |year=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-974192-2|pages=3–4}}{{cite book|author=Steven Vertovik (Robin Cohen, ed.)|title=The Cambridge survey of world migration|year=1995|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgesurveyo00robi/page/57 57–68]|isbn=978-0-521-44405-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgesurveyo00robi/page/57}}

Indentured people brought from India were primarily Hindus, but also Muslims and Christians. They were subject to indenture, a long-established form of contract which bound them to forced labour for a fixed term; apart from the fixed term of servitude, this resembled slavery.{{cite book|title=New System of Slavery|first= Hugh | last=Tinker| year=1993| isbn=978-1-870518-18-5| publisher= Hansib Publishing, London}} The first ships carrying indentured labourers from India left in 1836.{{cite web|title=Forced Labour| year=2010| publisher=The National Archives, Government of the United Kingdom| url= http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/blackhistory/india/forced.htm}} Sugarcane, a crop that is native to India, does not grow in the cold latitudes such as those found in Europe, but grows in tropical latitudes. It was grown in large colonial tropical plantations to meet the growing European and American demand. It is these sugarcane and other tropical cash crop plantations that brought the indentured Hindus and other migrants from India to Mauritius, and other tropical colonies such as Fiji, Jamaica, Trinidad, Martinique, Suriname among others.

The Hindus and non-Hindus who accepted indentured labour contracts and were brought to Mauritius faced difficult conditions in India. Poverty in colonial India, starvation, epidemics and severe periodic famines in British Raj were rampant during colonial rule.{{cite book|author=David Northrup|title=Indentured Labor in the Age of Imperialism, 1834-1922|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kS84AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA62|year=1995|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-48047-5|pages=62–67}}{{cite book|author=Pieter C. Emmer|title=Colonialism and Migration; Indentured Labour Before and After Slavery |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cudhBAAAQBAJ |year=1986|publisher=Springer |isbn=978-94-009-4354-4|pages=194–199, for context see 187–199|chapter=Chapter 9: The meek Hindu, the recruitment of Indian indentured labourers for service overseas}} Millions of Indians died from mass starvation during the 19th-century British India.{{cite book|author=Mike Davis|author-link=Mike Davis (scholar)|title=Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2LjYUY3LHkoC|year=2002|publisher=Verso Books|isbn=978-1-78168-061-2|pages=6–11, 54–59, 167–173}} The extreme circumstances broke families, villages and triggered migrations. By 1839, Mauritius already had 25,000 Indians working in slave-like conditions in its colonial plantations, but these were predominantly men since colonial labour laws prevented women and children from accompanying them. In the 1840s, a severe shortage of cheap labour in British plantation colonies led to the systematic shipment of a large number of Indian indentured labourers to Mauritius, both men and women, particularly from the ports of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The Hindus and non-Hindus of India who arrived in Mauritius were a small percentage of the over 30 million indentured Indian workers shipped around the colonial world between the 18th and early 20th century (many of whom returned after serving for years on plantations).{{cite book|author=Michael Mann|editor=John Marriott |title=The Ashgate Research Companion to Modern Imperial Histories| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zs3OCwAAQBAJ | year=2016| publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-04251-8|chapter=Chapter 16: Circulation and Migration}}

By the time Mauritius gained independence from the British Empire, a majority of its population were of Indian heritage. About 70% of Mauritius' total population is of Indian origin. Those who identify as Hindu constitute about 48% of the total population, and make up about 69% of those of Indian origin.{{cite book|author=Patrick Eisenlohr|title=Little India: Diaspora, Time, and Ethnolinguistic Belonging in Hindu Mauritius|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QFzcGV9FlxgC|year=2006|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-24879-3|pages=7–8}}

The majority language spoken by Hindus, like with any other ethnic group on the island, is Mauritian Creole. Mauritian Bhojpuri, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu are still spoken but have been in sharp decline.{{cite book|author=Patrick Eisenlohr|title=Little India: Diaspora, Time, and Ethnolinguistic Belonging in Hindu Mauritius|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QFzcGV9FlxgC|year=2006|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-24879-3|pages=51–55}} Politically active Hindus have attempted to preserve Hindi by calling it their mother tongue and ancestral language, erasing differences between Bhojpuri and Hindi, despite the fact that the latter language was never spoken natively in Mauritius. Most Hindus mainly use Mauritian Creole in their daily lives – a French-based creole language that developed on the island in the colonial era, through contact between various groups, including Indians and Africans.{{cite book|author=Patrick Eisenlohr|title=Little India: Diaspora, Time, and Ethnolinguistic Belonging in Hindu Mauritius|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QFzcGV9FlxgC|year=2006|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-24879-3|pages=72–73}}

Mauritius produces many Bhojpuri language television programs on the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, the state-owned TV channel.{{cite book |author=Patrick Eisenlohr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QFzcGV9FlxgC |title=Little India: Diaspora, Time, and Ethnolinguistic Belonging in Hindu Mauritius |publisher=University of California Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-520-24879-3 |pages=67–69, 207–208}} Hindus in Mauritius that widely use Bhojpuri reside in the rural south and the north-central region near La Nicolière. They primarily hail from the Gangetic plain regions of western Bihar State and eastern Uttar Pradesh State of India, and their mother tongue is a modified form – a koiné – of the original Bhojpuri language that is spoken in India by the Bhojpuri people.{{cite journal | last=Hollup | first=Oddvar | title=The Disintegration of Caste and Changing Concepts of Indian Ethnic Identity in Mauritius | journal=Ethnology | volume=33 | issue=4 | year=1994 | pages=297–316 | doi=10.2307/3773901 }}

The first Hindus that settled in Mauritius did not observe the caste system and inter-caste restrictions have been unimportant in Mauritius.{{cite journal | last=Grieco | first=Elizabeth M. | title=The Effects of Migration on the Establishment of Networks: Caste Disintegration and Reformation among the Indians of Fiji | journal=International Migration Review | volume=32 | issue=3 | year=1998 | page=704 | doi=10.2307/2547769 }} Most scholars observe that this may be because "the economic and political conditions in the host societies where Indian indentured labourers were introduced had conditions that were not conducive to the maintenance of caste", and that caste was not a principle of social organisation as all Indian labourers (Coolies) were "doing the same kind of work and sharing the same living conditions".{{cite journal | last=Jayawardena | first=Chandra | title=Migration and Social Change: A Survey of Indian Communities Overseas | journal=Geographical Review | volume=58 | issue=3 | year=1968 | page=426 | doi=10.2307/212565 }}

However, casteism has become an integral part of Mauritian politics. The major political parties which are involved in general elections propose Hindu candidates on the basis of their castes in order to match the caste demographics of voters in each constituency and district.{{cite web |last1=G. |first1=R. |title=The fallacy of the caste system in Mauritius |url=https://lexpress.mu/idee/309149/fallacy-caste-system-mauritius |publisher=L'Express |access-date=2017-06-07}} Casteism is a major consideration by politicians who strictly respect this system although they tend to publicly deny its existence in Mauritius.{{cite web |title=Portrait: Atma Doolooa, un chamar fier de l’être |url=https://www.lemauricien.com/actualites/societe/portrait-atma-doolooa-chamar-fier-letre/119171/ |publisher=Le Mauricien |access-date=2012-07-08}} What is now known as the Vaish caste in Mauritius is a relatively recent innovation which did not exist when Coolies arrived on the island in and after 1836. In Mauritius, the term Vaish nowadays collectively refers to the sub castes Ahir, Koyri, Kurmi and Nonya.

Another relatively modern form of stratification emerged in 1983 when the MMM attempted to isolate the Hindi-speaking Hindus by inventing the new group TTM (Tamil, Telegu, Marathi). The MMM also attempted to separate the Ravived and Rajput castes from the Vaish group for political gains during the 1983 elections, but these methods failed as the MMM lost these elections after being in power for less than a year.{{cite web |title=Kurmi, Ahir, Blanc, Kurmi, Ahir, re-Ahir… |url=https://lexpress.mu/idee/299542/kurmi-ahir-blanc-kurmi-ahir-re-ahir |publisher=L'Express |access-date=2017-02-05}}

File:Mauritius Divali Diwali Lighting and Decorations 2010.jpg^{The Hindus in Mauritius observe major festivals, such as Divali in Port Louis above.}

• Mahashivratri ("The Great Night of Shiva") is one of the biggest Hindu festivals occurring on a public holiday celebrated in Mauritius mainly by Bihari Hindus and also other Hindu communities. During this annual Hindu celebration, which takes place in the months of February and March, seven to sometimes forty days of fasting and ongoing preparations for pilgrimage to bring the Ganga Jal from Ganga Talao finally lead up to an overnight vigil of Lord Shiva's worship.

Other important Hindu festivals in Mauritius include:{{cite book|author=Jan Dodd|title=Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G_H5-2H_OcUC&pg=PA134|year=2004|isbn=978-1-74059-301-4|pages=93, 134}}

• Thaipusam Cavadee, honoring Lord Murugan/Kartikeya. This Hindu festival is particularly observed by Tamil Hindus, hence is attributed as a public holiday to them.{{cite journal | last=Xygalatas | first=D. | last2=Mitkidis | first2=P. | last3=Fischer|display-authors=etal | first3=R. |title=Extreme Rituals Promote Prosociality | journal=Psychological Science | volume=24 | issue=8 | year=2013 | pages=1602–1605 | doi=10.1177/0956797612472910 | pmid=23740550| url=https://pure.au.dk/ws/files/54437983/Psychological_Science_2013_Xygalatas_0956797612472910.pdf }}
• Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu festival occurring on a public holiday assigned to the extensive Marathi-speaking community, celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha.
• Durga Puja/Navratri, celebrated in honour of the titular Goddess Durga over nine days and nine nights venerating her nine different forms. This Hindu festival comes twice in a year, during March to April months and October to November months.
• Divali ("The Festival of Lights"), also known as Deepawali. This Hindu festival is a national public holiday in Mauritius. It is widely popular, cuts across ethnic barriers, with Mauritian Christians observing it as well.
• Ugadi/Gudi Padwa, a Hindu New Year festival occurring on a public holiday particularly observed by Telugus and Marathis respectively.
• Holi ("The Festival of Colors") is also widely popular and cuts across ethnic barriers where everyone celebrate it together. One day before it Holika Dahan is being performed together with Chawtaal which is an Indian folk music.
• Ram Nawmi, celebrated in honour of the ideal King of Ayodhya Lord Rama who is the embodiment of a man's perfect character. Apart the Tamil Hindus, other Hindu communities celebrate it grandly specially Awadhis. Coincidently it comes together with March-April months of Durga Nawmi.
• Pongal/Makar Sankranti, a Hindu harvest festival particularly observed by Tamil and Bihari Hindus respectively. It is also known as Uttarayan in other Hindu communities.
• Hanuman Jayanti, a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of ape God Hanuman who is famous for his great devotion towards Lord Rama. On this occasion Hanuman Chalisa is being chanted 108 times.
• Krishna Janmashtami, a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Dwarka King Lord Krishna. Every year during this occasion ISKCON organises the Jagannath Rath Yatra.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness maintains several temples in Mauritius.

Ile maurice 1463a.jpg|Ganesha

Sagar Shiv Mandir 1.jpg|Sagar Shiv Mandir, Poste de Flacq

Temple vers trou aux biches.JPG|Maheswarnath Mandir, Triolet

GangaTalaoLake.jpg|Temple at Ganga Talao's Grand Bassin

{{Portal|Hinduism|Religion

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• Hinduism in Africa
• Religion in Mauritius
• Demographics of Mauritius
• Hindu eschatology

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{{Hinduism in Africa}}

Category:Religion in Mauritius