02/07/2026
Mauritius surprised me the moment I arrived 🇲🇺
Hindi songs on local buses. Temples tucked between colonial buildings. It felt like home before I understood why.
Here’s the why: in the 1800s, the French and later British brought Bhojpuri-speaking Indian laborers to Mauritius under the indenture system, a life that came with almost no real choice, once slavery was abolished. On the other hand, the Tamil communities arrived differently, many by their own will, seeking a new life!
Two very different journeys. One island where their languages, food, and gods still live loudly today.
I didn’t come to Mauritius expecting to feel this close to home. 🪷