Indentured labour gateway - Aapravasi Ghat 1227; Bhojpuri folk songs in Mauritius, Geet-Gawai 01178
What and Why
The Aapravasi Ghat is another iconic representation of forced labour and slavery in Africa during the colonial times. During the period from mid-19th to early 20th century CE, Mauritius was a centre for indentured, or contracted, labour workforce from many countries due to its extensive requirement for labours in the sugar-cane plantations, managed mainly by the British. The ghat, or literally the immigration depot, became the first steps for the labourers' transformation from a free-man to a captive in a foreign country. This mass-importation of labourers also partly changed the social dynamics and fabrics of the society: for example Mauritius has now close to 70% is of population with Indian ancestry because of this labour importation, almost all coming through the gates of Aapravasi Ghat. The ghat has thus become an important reference point in the history and cultural identity of Mauritius, especially with respect to the development of its Indian culture.
In particular, an indenture servitude was the service from a man (almost never a woman) who took out a loan, called an indenture, most often to pay for the cost of his transportation to a job location. In order to pay off this loan, the employee (indenturee) agreed to work without salary for the lender for a specific number of years, which often resulted in brutality, forced labour, slavery and abuse.
It must be emphasised that slavery was officially emancipated in Mauritius during the mid-18th century CE, only for it to be morphed to another form called indenture servitude. As a matter of fact, indenturing seemed to have been welcomed as it replenished the much needed labour, lost due to slavery, ironically still managed by the British. In a sense, this made Mauritius the main sugar-producer in the British Empire, accounting to close to 10% of the world's production.
Together with Le Morne, Mauritius's both UNESCO WHS connote with its dark history of struggles against slavery or forced labour.
Toponymy
Aapravasi comes directly from the Hindi word आप्रवासी (aapravasi), meaning immigration. Ghat is the an Indian-English term used to refer to either a range of stepped hills, or the series of steps leading down to a body of water, for instance the ghats in Varanasi.
Port Louis is named in honour of King Louis XV (né Louis de Bourbon), when Mauritius was made a French colony.
See
Aapravasi Ghat
The historic complex currently only consists of the partial remains of three stone buildings dating back to the 1860s CE, built on the spot of an earlier depot site. More than half-a-million labourers passed through this gates and became forced labourers during the colonisation period. Inside the ghat, there is a tiny museum where the usual artefacts are displayed. Inside there is a replica of the ship, similar to the one that the contracted workers had to endure. The ghat also shows the former kitchens, canteens and toilets but the rectangular depot is actually quite small and run-down.
Caudan Waterfront
The Caudan Waterfront area is the main integrated tourist area where all the posh shoppings and dinings are located. The area is named after a Frenchman Jean de Caudan who came settled in Port Louis. This also marks the main commercial centre of Port Louis.
Mauritius
Mauritius is a major tourist destination, and offers an affordable paradise-like environment filled with tropical climate with clear warm sea waters, beaches, tropical fauna and flora complemented by a multi-ethnic and cultural population. There is not the intention of this blog to do a travel guide in Mauritius, but you can see for yourselves.
Buy and Do
The Central Market is located right opposite to the Caudan Waterfront where they sell almost everything. A very interesting place to spend a few hours in!
Geet-Gawai
Given the large population of Indian ethnicity, it is no surprise that there is a lot of Indian customs or traditions being practised in the country. One of the most important of them is the dance of Geet-Gawai (Bhojpuri: गीत गवाई), which is a pre-wedding ceremony that originates from the Bhojpuri (Bhojpuri: भोजपुरी) community. The ceremony is a combination of songs, traditional rituals, prayers and dance. During the procession, specifically five married women would begin sorting various items like rice, grass and money in a piece of cloth while other participants sing songs that honour Hindu deities. The ritual is particularly important as it emphasises the breaking of class and caste barriers, and in the context of Mauritius, slavery.
I have attended many Indian weddings in my life and somehow I found that there is always an Indian wedding ceremonies near me. I was invited to attend another friend's family wedding party during my visit and without realising, the dance they were performing in front of me was Geet-Gawai, just thinking it was another Bollywood show. Another slap on my face of UNESCO ICH.
Eat and Drink
As in my earlier blog, Mauritius offers a full-blended mixture of Indian, Chinese, African and French cuisine. I reached Mauritius on Valentine's Day and I had to treat my darling a good Valentine dinner, which I did in La Table du Château. Extremely classy French dinner in a mansion (not a castle as the name suggested), with performance. Cannot ask for more, absolutely fabulous.
During the evening we realised we were the only couple who was not dressed in red during the night. We wonder if that was a Mauritian custom.
Stay
I have been to Port Louis thrice and I stayed in the same luxury hotel Le Suffren Marina and Resorts, and it is because it is really good and reasonably-priced. In a way, its convenience is also its inconvenience: it is a stone's throw away from Caudan Waterfront and Aapravasi Ghat, but you cannot walk there, you have to take water taxi! You can see from the picture above the ridiculously short distance that the taxi needs to cover to cross the river. The hotel itself is top-notched and I would not stay in a different hotel if I go to Mauritius again, at least for work.
My then girlfriend, now wife, enjoyed an excellent chocolate spa in the hotel, apparently she wanted to smell chocolaty. She gave a thumbs-up to the treatment.
Getting There and Around
As mentioned in the earlier blog, the trouble in Mauritius is the lack of general public transport and taking a taxi to reach places can cost a bomb. Entry to the Aapravasi Ghat is free of charge. The site is within Port Louis and can be explored on foot. Port Louis is around 30-minute away from the airport.
Spend at least a week in Mauritius to enjoy the living paradise.
UNESCO Inscriptions
In the district of Port Louis, lies the 1,640 m2 site where the modern indentured labour diaspora began. In 1834, the British Government selected the island of Mauritius to be the first site for what it called ‘the great experiment’ in the use of ‘free’ labour to replace slaves. Between 1834 and 1920, almost half a million indentured labourers arrived from India at Aapravasi Ghat to work in the sugar plantations of Mauritius, or to be transferred to Reunion Island, Australia, southern and eastern Africa or the Caribbean. The buildings of Aapravasi Ghat are among the earliest explicit manifestations of what was to become a global economic system and one of the greatest migrations in history.
Geet-Gawai is a pre-wedding ceremony that combines rituals, prayer, songs, music and dance. It is performed mainly by Bhojpuri-speaking communities in Mauritius who have Indian descent. The traditional practice takes place at the home of the bride or groom and involves female family members and neighbours. It begins with five married women sorting items (turmeric, rice, grass and money) in a piece of cloth while other participants sing songs that honour Hindu gods and goddesses. After the site has been sanctified, the mother of the bride or groom and a drummer honour musical instruments to be played during the ceremony, such as the dholak (a two-headed drum). Uplifting songs are then performed and everyone joins in and dances. Geet-Gawai is an expression of community identity and collective cultural memory. The practice also provides participants with a sense of pride and contributes to greater social cohesion, and breaking class and caste barriers. Knowledge about the practice and its associated skills are transmitted from older to younger generations on an informal and formal basis. This is done via observation and participation by families, semi-formal teaching houses, community centres, and academies. Nowdays, the practice of Geet-Gawai extends to public performances and men also participate.
References
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