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75 R aised in a Catholic society, I have been used to worshiping God during a formal 45-minute Mass, which was often quite sad and bor- ing. Perhaps this had something to do with my lack of interest in reli- gion now, be it Christian or Hindu or Buddhist. So when I went to Maha Shivaratri, a Hindu celebration of the deity Shiva, it wasn’t for spiritual fulfillment, but rather for a new experience. During this festival in Mauritius, the Waters of Grand Bassin sparkle with colorful saris and the air is heavy with incense burning all around the shore. It feels magic and slightly unreal, filling you with a sense of belonging and blessedness at the same time. Little was known about the beautiful island of Mauritius before the French took it from the Dutch in 1767, planting sugar there and establishing a prosperous colony. After the British captured Mau- ritius in 1810, their occupation confirmed by the Treaty of Paris, the customs, laws and language all remained French (when I got married there, legal procedures were based on the Napoleonic Code). Slavery was abolished in 1835, and slaves were replaced with indentured servants from India. Those people were from the holy land of Bharat, and they brought Hinduism to Mauritius less than two centuries ago. Since then, Hinduism has been the predominant religion on the island. Early birds we are not, but we managed to get up at 4 a.m. to reach the Grand Bassin before the hundreds of thousands of other travelers who were heading to the same spot. The main road to the lake quickly became inundated with walking pil- grims, cars and buses, and as the sun rose the giant, glittering statue of Shiva, with water spouting from the top, came into view and loomed majes- tically. Men, women and children, mostly dressed in white, walk to the lake from even the most remote corners of the island. Pilgrims travel distances of 30 or 40 kilometers, carrying structures made of bamboo or wooden sticks and decorated with colorful paper, bells and mirrors on their shoulders. Some of these “kanwars,” as they are called, are minor artistic masterpieces, built mostly in the shape of domed temples, made in vibrant col- ors and flashing with the re- flected lights from countless little mirrors. Kanwars are of- ten a symbolic representation of a community’s temple or a deity. Maha Shivaratri, or the “Great Night of Shiva,” is one of the biggest festivals on the island. This annual Hindu cel- ebration falls on the 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun, which falls in February or March of the solar calen- dar. Four to nine days of ceremony and fasting lead up to an all-night vigil for Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity. Devotees fast around the clock and perform ritual worship of Shiva Lingam to ap- pease Lord Shiva. Four to nine days of ceremony and fasting lead up to an all-night vigil of Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity. Devotees fast around the clock and perform ritual worship of Shiva Lingam to appease Lord Shiva.