Mauritius takes pride in its cultural diversity which extends to the varying religious beliefs of its people whose roots trace back to different ethnicities. Discrimination based on religious creed is prohibited under the country’s constitution. It also grants individuals the right to manifest, propagate, or change their religious beliefs.
Government subsidies are also granted to the country’s six major religious groups: Hindus, Roman Catholics, Muslims, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Seventh-day Adventists. Each of their subsidies is based on the number of their followers relative to the country’s total population.
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Historical vignettes
Hinduism is the religion of about half of the Mauritian populace, a vestige of British colonial rule when labourers from India were brought into the island to work in sugarcane fields. About one-fourth of Mauritians are Roman Catholics. Islam, another major religion in the country, is followed by some 17.3 per cent of the country’s population.
The various temples and churches of these faiths serve as charming landmarks for communities and real estate developments in the country and add colour.These seats of religious convictions have likewise become amazing tourist attractions, drawing plenty of visitors especially during festivals or holidays associated with their teachings. Take a glimpse of some these Mauritian cultural icons below.
Hindu shrine of Ganga Talao
A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was built on the shoreline of Ganga Talao, a crater lake also commonly called Grand Bassin in the Savanne district. This secluded mountain area is regarded as the most sacred Hindu shrine in Mauritius. Besides Lord Shiva’s, there are other temples of several Hindu deities here including those honouring the Goddess Ganga, Lord Hanuman, and Lord Ganesh. Many pilgrims n Mauritius walk on bare feet from their homes to the Ganga Talao to pay homage to Lord Shiva and these Hindu gods, a tradition that dates back to the late 1890s.
Cathedral St. Louis
One of the oldest in Mauritius, this church was originally built in 1756 at the capital city Port Louis. Interestingly, this Catholic place of worship was commissioned for military use during the Seven Years’ War. The cathedral was reconstructed in 1814 after a series of cyclones heavily damaged its walls. Its structural design replicating the shape of the Latin cross on bird’s eye view was retained. A military engineer was behind the original design of the church, and this could be seen in its pair of fort-like towers dominating the structure’s façade. A fountain with four lion heads is also another striking feature in front of this historic cathedral.
Jummah Mosque
Also in Port Louis, this Islamic place of worship was built during the 1850s through the efforts of the local Muslim mercantile community. Curiously, the mosque was initially called “Mosquée des Arabes (Mosq ue of the Arabs), because the local folks mistook its founders as Arabs. The architectural rendition of the Jummah Mosque combines Indian, Creole, and Islamic influences. This mix reflects the mosque’s expansion over the years as well as the cultural diversity that enriched the values of the island.
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