Ram Mandir consecration: Mauritius grants special leave to Hindus on Jan 22

There has been an influx of Hindu migrants from Indian states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and others into Mauritius. In fact, Hinduism is the most popular and practised religion in the country and the Cabinet's decision to give Hindus a break on the consecration day of the Ram Mandir reflects the reverence the country's lawmakers have for the faith, writes ETV Bharat's Chandrakala Choudhury

New Delhi:TheMauritian government has decided to provide a one-time special leave of two hours on January 22 for Hindu public servants. This special leave will allow them to attend prayers marking the historic inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

The ceremony, called Pran Pratishtha, will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders and the ceremony will be broadcast live.

In its cabinet decision on Friday, the Mauritius government said, "Cabinet has agreed to the grant of a one-off special leave of two hours on Monday 22 January 2024 as 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, which is a landmark event as it symbolizes the return of Lord Ram in Ayodhya".

It is pertinent to note that Hinduism is the most prominent and the practiced religion in the island nation. The roots of Hinduism in Mauritius can be traced back to the arrival of Indian 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 neighboring islands of the Indian Ocean.

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