Port Louis: In a significant and inclusive gesture, the Mauritian government has announced a one-time special leave of two hours for public servants of the Hindu faith, allowing them to participate in prayers commemorating the historic inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
The Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Temple is set to witness the presence of distinguished leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and will be broadcasted live for a wider audience.
The Mauritian Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, released a statement on Friday stating, "Cabinet has agreed to the grant of a one-off special leave of two hours on Monday, January 22, 2024, from 1400 hours to public officers of Hindu faith, subject to exigencies of service, in the context of the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in India. This event is a landmark, symbolizing the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya."
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Hinduism constitutes the majority religion in Mauritius, with Hindus accounting for approximately 48.5% of the population in 2011. Mauritius stands out as the sole African nation where Hinduism holds the highest prevalence. Globally, it ranks third in terms of the percentage of Hindu practitioners, following Nepal and India.
The roots of Hinduism in Mauritius trace back to the arrival of Indian indentured laborers, brought to colonial French and later British plantations in Mauritius and neighboring Indian Ocean islands. These migrants hailed primarily from regions such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
—Input from Agencies
