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Thaipoosam Cavadee

The cavadee is a woodern arch decorated with flowers and palm leaves, with pots of milk (sambos) suspended from each end of the base. Devotees carry the cavadee from the bank of a river to a temple in order to fulfil a vow in honuor of Subramanya, the second son of Lord Shiva, and to pay penance and cleanse their soul . Before the procession commences, skewers are threaded through the tongues and cheeks of devotees. Custom dictates that reasonable pace be maintained because the milk in the sambo must not have curdled by the time it reaches the temple. The major Thaipoosam Cavadee takes place in January/February each year at most Hindu temples throughout the island. This is a public holiday. Small cavadees are scheduled once or twice during the rest of the year at selected temples.

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  • Population and Religion

    Population and Religion

    At 31 December 1997, the population was estimated to be 1,120,530. It is divided into several ethnic groups, namely the Indo-Mauritians, creoles (that is persons having European, Madagascar and African origin) and Chinese Mauritians. Most of the festivities without fixed dates have been brought by the Indians but mostly by the tamilians. But there are also Chinese and Christian rites. The musical instruments that can be seen in Mauritius are the Ravane, a kind of big tambourine to give the rhythm for the tam-tam of the sega.

    FESTIVITIES

  • Maha Shivaratri

    This celebration occurs over three days in February/ March and is the largest and most important Hindu festival held outside India. One of the days over which it is held is a public holiday. Most of the island’s Hindu population make the pilgrimage to the holy volcanic lake, Grand Bassin in honour of Lord Shiva. Many pilgrims, dressed in white, start walking in groups from their village a day or two beforehand, depending on how far they have to travel. They carry a kanvar, a light wooden frame or arch decorated with paper flowers.

  • Teemeedee

    This is a Hindu and Tamil fire-walking ceremony in honour of various gods. The ceremonies occur throughout the year, but mostly in December and January. After fasting and bathing, the participants walk over red-hot embers scattered along the ground. The Hindu temples at Camp Diable, The Vale and Quatre Bornes are noted for this event. A feat along similar lines is sword climbing, seen mostly between April and June. The best demonstrations occur at Solitude, Triolet and Mt Choisy, in the northwest.

  • Culture & Language of Mauritius

    The feasts in Mauritius are as various as the origin of the Mauritians and their religions.

    Visitors of the island shouldn't be afraid to attend the feasts.

  • Chinese Spring Festival

    The festival begins on the eve of the Chinese New Year with an explosion of firecrackers to chase away evil spirits. New Years Day is in January or February and does not fall on the same day every year due to the irregularity of the lunar month. During the week before New Year's Day there is a thorough spring—cleaning of the home. Traditionalists make visits to pagodas on New Year's Eve with offerings and prayers of thanksgiving. The Day itself is a holiday for the Chinese community who celebrate by going to the beach.

  • Weather and Best Season to Visit

    You can visit Rodrigues Island almost any time of the year the climate here is pleasantly warm and somewhat drier than that of Mauritius. The island is prone to periodic cyclones, sometimes quite severe, between the months of November to May. Most of the precipitation takes place during the months of February and March. Average temperature during winters is 15ºC in the winters while it is around 30ºC in the summers.

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