Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys a special performance of the traditional Bhojpuri Geet-Gawai, in Port Louis, Mauritius on March 11, 2025.
The shared culture, heritage, and history of India and Mauritius came alive as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his two-day visit to the nation on Tuesday (March 11, 2025).
A special performance of the traditional Bhojpuri Geet-Gawai highlighted how the language, originally spoken in Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, has been passed on in Mauritius from generation to generation.
Geet-Gawai, an ensemble performance in Bhojpuri that combines rituals, prayer, songs, music and dance, reflects the deep cultural heritage brought to Mauritius by people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Recognizing its cultural significance, UNESCO inscribed ‘Geet Gawai’ on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2016.
“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,” Prime Minister Modi said on social media platform X.
Mauritius is a former British and French colony that gained independence from British rule in 1968. Between 1834 and 1920, almost half a million indentured workers arrived from India, mainly from the Bhojpuri-speaking regions of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, to work in the sugar plantations of Mauritius. A majority of them later settled down in the country.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi also shared photographs of the warm welcome he received from members of the Indian community in Mauritius and applauded the bond of history and heart.
“Deeply touched by the warm welcome from the Indian community in Mauritius. Their strong connection to Indian heritage, culture and values is truly inspiring. This bond of history and heart continues to thrive across generations,” he wrote on X.
India’s close and long standing ties with Mauritius are anchored in shared history, demography and culture. Indian origin people comprise nearly 70% of the island nation’s population of about 1.2 million.
