New Delhi: Ahead of the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya scheduled for January 22, the Mauritius High Commissioner to India, Haymandoyal Dillum, on Friday said that the installation of the idol of Lord Ram at Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, holds great spiritual, historical and cultural significance for the people of Mauritius.
In a telephonic interview with ETV Bharat, when asked how significant the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony is for Mauritius given the strong cultural ties between the two nations, the High Commissioner said, "The text of the Ramayana is very significant for Mauritian as well as the Ram temple. In Mauritius the two major avatar of Lord Vishnu is widely acknowledged - that of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna".
He noted that previously many Mauritians used to visit Mathura and Vrindavan to take the blessings of Lord Krishna and now they will be getting the opportunity to visit the temple of Lord Ram as well. Notably, Hinduism is the most prominent and most practised religion in the island nation.
The roots of Hinduism in Mauritius can be traced back to the arrival of Indian indentured labourers during the colonial era. These migrants primarily hailed from states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. They were brought to work on French and later British plantations in Mauritius and neighbouring islands of the Indian Ocean.
On being asked how Mauritius is prepping up for the historic ceremony, the Mauritius High Commissioner said, "The 'Pran Pratishtha' will be the first-ever Hindu ceremony being telecast live, it would be a great opportunity for them to be part of the event despite being away".