Bhojpuri In Mauritius? Here’s Why PM Modi Was Welcomed With Geet Gawai Performance

Last Updated:March 11, 2025, 18:20 IST

PM Modi in a post on X wrote: “Memorable welcome in Mauritius. One of the highlights was the deep rooted cultural connect, seen in the Geet-Gawai performance. It’s commendable how the great Bhojpuri language thrives in the culture of Mauritius.”

PM Modi greets people in Mauritius. (X)

As Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi reached Mauritius on Monday, he was welcomed with a Bhojpuri Geet-Gawai performance. Modi is in Mauritius as the chief guest for the Day celebrations of Mauritius on March 12.

PM Modi in a post on X wrote: “Memorable welcome in Mauritius. One of the highlights was the deep rooted cultural connect, seen in the Geet-Gawai performance. It’s commendable how the great Bhojpuri language thrives in the culture of Mauritius."

Mauritius has a special connection with India, especially with the northcentral language, Bhojpuri.

The Central government led by PM Modi has engaged in strengthening its special and lasting partnership with Mauritius for the past several years. Here’s why Bhojpuri and Hindi are among the dominant languages of Mauritius.

WHERE IS MAURITIUS?

Mauritius is a small island country located in the Indian Ocean. It is east of Madagascar, off the south-eastern coast of Africa. The distance of Mauritius from the Madagascar coast is about 800 km. It is a part of the Mascarene Islands. Mauritius got independence from Britain on March 12, 1968. The population here is around 12 lakh, with 70 per cent of Indian origin. The religion of most people living here is Hindu.

5 LAKH INDIANS CAME TO WORK

There was a time when Mauritius was a British and French colony. From 1834 to the beginning of 1900, around five lakh Indians were brought here by the British to work. Two-thirds of these workers settled here.

The first batch of 36 people who came to Mauritius in a ship named ‘Atlas’ on November 2, 1834 were from Bihar, the Bhojpuri speaking belt. This day is still celebrated as the Immigrant Day in Mauritius.

Port Louis has the immigrant ghat, where Indian workers descended to change the fate of Mauritius. UNESCO has declared the place a World Heritage Site.

BHOJPURI AND HINDI ARE DOMINANT

A report on Mauritius Times website, citing the 2011 Census, stated that of the total population, 5.3% people speak Bhojpuri, whereas according to the 2000 census, 12.1% people spoke Bhojpuri. Apart from this, Urdu, Tamil and Telugu are also spoken in the country.

The official language of Mauritius is English, while French and Creole are also widely spoken.

Political parties, too, are seen using Bhojpuri in their election campaigns to appeal to the Bhojpuri

community.

WHY IS IT CALLED MINI INDIA?

Mauritius is often called “Mini India" owing to the large population of Indian origin. Before independence, a large number of people from Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar were brought to the country as indentured labour. They were called Girmitiyas. These people made Bhojpuri and Hindi popular in Mauritius.

Apart from language and dialect, a large number of people are seen wearing Indian clothes, with women wearing saris seen singing jhumar, sohar, kajri or ratwai in any village of Mauritius.

PROMOTION OF BHOJPURI

In 2005, Bhojpuri was introduced as an optional subject in primary schools, and 2012, it was included in the school curriculum as a compulsory subject for students in Class 4.

The Government of Mauritius had introduced the Bhojpuri-Speaking Union Act in 2013 (which was amended in 2015) for the establishment of a Bhojpuri-Speaking Union operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage.  It is mandated to promote the Bhojpuri language in its spoken and written forms and engage in any educational, academic, cultural and artistic work to further that objective.

In 2017, the Bhojpuri Speaking Council was established to promote and preserve the language and culture of the Bhojpuri-speaking community. Additionally, the 2007 Language Act recognises the importance of multilingualism and cultural diversity in Mauritius and acknowledges the role that languages like Bhojpuri play in the country’s linguistic and cultural heritage.

In 2018, the government of Mauritius launched the Bhojpuri Speaking Region project.

To further promote the Bhojpuri language, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, then PM of the Republic of Mauritius, had in January 2019 announced at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in Varanasi that Mauritius would host a Bhojpuri Mahotsav in 2020. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide and the ensuing global lockdowns, the Bhojpuri Festival could not be held.

The Bhojpuri Mahotsav was held at the Long Beach Mauritius Hotel, Belle Mare, Flacq in the Republic of Mauritius in 2024.

WHAT IS GEET GAWAI?

Geet-Gawai is part of pre-wedding ceremonies and combines rituals, prayer, songs, music and dance through which they honour Hindu Gods and Goddesses. It is seen as an expression of the collective identity of the indentured Girmityas, who were struggling to preserve their languages. It has been passed on within families, by community centres and academies.

It is included in the UNESCO list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’.

WHEN EAM VISITED MAURITIUS

In July 2024, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar received a ‘Bhojpuri Geet Gawai’ welcome at the Grand Bois Medi Clinic in Mauritius.

Sharing a video, Jaishankar, in a post on X, wrote, “Mauritius is a home away from home! Delighted to witness a Bhojpuri Geet Gawai welcome at the Grand Bois Medi Clinic, symbolizing the enduring bond between India and Mauritius."

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