As an expat in Mauritius who is also engaged to a Mauritian, I am lucky to be able to experience and enjoy many different ceremonies, traditions and celebrations. The most recent was the coming of age ceremony called Manjal Neerattu Vizha which is celebrated when a Tamil girl starts puberty. It is celebrated with family and friends to recognize the girl’s first stages of womanhood.
The coming of age ceremony is considered to be a Samskara, which is any ritual performed at important stages in the life of a Hindu. The Samskara is specifically for girls around the ages of 13. It's something beautiful to experience as an expat living in Mauritius as it's something I've never experienced in the UK. The Samskara was performed at my Mauritian family's home and everyone was there to assist, cook and a party was also held for this extremely joyous occasion.
As the ceremony begins, the young girl is seated next to the offerings and the women in the family take turns placing a bindi (dot on her forehead) and then rubbing turmeric on her cheeks, forearms and feet. Then a gold pot is waved in front of her, a grinding stone and some food wrapped in a banana leaf. Lastly the bindi is dabbed on her forehead again. This is traditionally done to protect her from evil.
Everyone attending the ceremony wore their best traditional clothes, either sarees or salwar kameez (pantsuits) as they took part in the ritual and the atmosphere is full of love, joy and happiness. After the ritual the young woman is taken away and bathed (to wash off the turmeric) and dressed in a stunning silk sari and her hair and make up is done. There is a procession as she comes back to the family and everyone takes turn to feed sweets and offer her gifts.
What I love about these family celebrations is that everyone is involved in some way, either with the ritual or cooking or even both. There is always a table full of food and this time we had some chicken curry which is served on long tables to be enjoyed by the entire family. Something I learnt early on as an expat in Mauritius is to not fill up on the snack before the main meal! The snacks can be anything from samosas to chicken liver, bread and fish. I used to think these were the main meals and went a little wild. Only to discover that the chicken curry was on the way! I've learnt now to start small before the main course. The food is always delicious and enjoyed with cheerful chit chat and lots of laughter.
Of course, no Mauritian celebration is complete without some singing and dancing! So out come the traditional drums and music and that's your cue to get on the dance floor (or any open space in the house) and get dancing- Mauritian style! My favourite is how all the ate (aunties) are the first on the dance floor and always the ones encouraging the younger ones to dance! It's such a fun day!
My favorite thing about these rituals is how everyone is involved and even me as an expat! I had never experienced this before but my Mauritian family talked me through the process and guided me in the prayers. It is a very special thing to be part of.
