Mauritius Gives 2-Hour Breaks to Hindus for Chanting Ramayana Verses as Ram Mandir Opening Nears

Petit Raffray: The Mauritian cabinet has announced a mandatory 2-hour break for Hindus working in public offices to allow them to participate in local events leading up to the grand opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The Mauritian Hindu community, in anticipation of this historic event, will be organising chanting sessions of verses from the epic 'Ramayana' in all temples across the island nation.

Bhojraj Ghoorbin, President of the Mauritius Sanatan Dharm Temples Federation, shared the excitement, stating, "From Makar Sankranti on January 15, all our temples will hold the chanting of verses from Ramayana. On January 22, when Lord Ram will be enthroned at the grand temple in Ayodhya, we will hold celebrations similar to Diwali."

Mauritius to Celebrate Diwali Twice This Year

Highlighting the significance of the occasion, Ghoorbin added, “The Festival of Lights will be celebrated twice in Diwali this year. The first Diwali would be celebrated across the country on January 22 while the second would mark the actual celebration of the Festival of Lights on October 31. After 500 years of Vanvas (exile), Prabhu Shri Ram is coming to Ayodhya, and our celebrations would be unbridled and unprecedented.”

A day before the inauguration of the Ram Temple, a cultural program will be organised, with Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth attending as the chief guest. Ghoorbin shared the excitement for the cultural event, saying, “On January 21, a day ahead of the Ram Temple opening, we will hold a mega cultural programme featuring all our social and cultural organisations. Our PM will grace the event as the chief guest.”

Commending the Prime Minister's decision to grant a two-hour special break for the Hindu community on January 22, Ghoorbin expressed hope that other countries would follow suit. "This is a big decision taken by our prime minister, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. We are the first country outside India where people from the Hindu community could avail two hours of leave on January 22. We wish to thank him for this decision."

Direct Flights from Mauritius to Ayodhya?

Ghoorbin also expressed hopes for direct flights from Mauritius to Ayodhya in the future, stating, “We have pitched the idea of direct flights from Mauritius to Ayodhya to our PM.”

The Mauritian government's decision to grant special leave for Hindu public officers on January 22 was officially announced on Friday. The cabinet's statement read, “The Cabinet has agreed to the grant of a one-off special leave of two hours on Monday 22 January 2024 as from 1400 hours to public officers of Hindu faith, subject to exigencies of service, in the context of the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir in India.”

The ceremonial installation of the idol of Shri Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple in Ayodhya is set to take place on January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has scheduled a week-long series of Vedic rituals starting January 16 in preparation for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla.