Local traditions and culture in Mauritius

Mauritius has a high (52%) hindu population and some of the hindu temples area lso places of tourist attraction.

Please take off your shoes while entering the innner area of a temple. The enclosed photo is of a Shiv sculpture near the Ganga talao.

Port-Louis Central Market is still at the heart of local life and traditions. All the ingredients are gathered to capture the essence of Mauritius: Local crafts, bright sarongs, colourful heaps of vegetables and fruits, spices, savouries filled with curry or chutney. You may not want to miss the trader selling herbal cures for all aliments. As in all markets, the insistent of voices of traders will invite you to taste the various local delicacies.

Flacq is one of the most important villages in Mauritius. The unavoidable meeting point for inhabitants of the eastern region, Flacq has one of the largest open-air markets. Market day is a colourful event which attracts a large number of locals and where bargaining is at its best. It can be enjoyable experience.

La población de Isla Mauricio es el resultado de una continua inmigración de diferentes razas procedentes de Madagascar, Europa, Africa y Asia. Este hecho ha convertido a Mauricio en un rico e interesante microcosmos étnico y cultural. Y es que cada una de estas razas ha traído su particular cosmovisión, sus creencias, sus deseos y su peculiar forma de entender la existencia. Mauricio es el encuentro de muchos mundos, es un viaje a la esencia del hombre. Y es que los atractivos de Mauricio no se reducen a sus bellas playas, a sus magníficos hoteles o exóticos restaurantes, es su gente, nacida de diferentes sangres, razas, culturas y religiones, el verdadero atractivo del país.

A pesar de su diversidad, el común denominador de los habitantes de la isla, el rasgo que identifica a los mauricianos es, sin duda, su franca, abierta y contagiosa sonrisa. Este gesto sincero es su tarjeta de presentación. No en vano se ha denominado al país con el significativo nombre de "La sonrisa del Indico", junto a otros títulos como "El Esplendor o la Perla del Indico".

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Wild, exuberant... and contagious! The sega is a glorious spectacle of rhythm & music, unique to Mauritius. A dance form spawned by islanders of African origin, the sega involves rubbing your feet, and swaying your hips as gracefully as you can manage! All performed to frantic Creole lyrics, and instruments like the ravanne and the maravanne. You can catch this awesome sight at the hotel beaches, usually on a Wednesday. When the dancers pull you into their circle, just play along :)

Eventhough the official language is English almost everyone speaks mainly French and english if they have to or if they know how to. They also speak the islands own language, and to me (even though I don't speak french) the Maori sounded like a mix between many languages.. So grab a french pocket dictionary so U know what to do if you're in a tricky situation

Most people in Mauricious come from India. They are very peaceful and friendly. If you visit a temple (there is a very beautiful one at the shores of a lake, usually covered with mist) you should take off your shoes before entering... It's a custom you should respect...

Appart from French and english there is another language spoken on the island called le patois. Unfortunetely i grew up speaking french and was never taught but i wouldnt mind learning a bit more. I find it really interesting.
The language is a mixture of french ,african and Indian but im not sure if it has a verb structure.
Theres even newspapers written in the language