Historical trail: the Apraavasi Ghat

The Apraavasi Ghat is a historical site located in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. This place is of particular importance to those interested in diasporas and cultural identities. Indeed, the Apraavasi Ghat is the place where thousands of immigrants first landed in Mauritius, from 1834. These immigrants came mainly from India and brought with them their culture, language and traditions. 

Follow us in the footsteps of these first free workers who contributed to the economic development of Mauritius in the 19th century.

The colonial background

For a better understanding and appreciation of the incredible ethnic mix in Mauritius, the best thing to do is visit this beautiful site of stonework located in the harbor of Port Louis. In 1834, under British rule, Mauritius was to be used as a full-scale test for the introduction of free laborers rather than slaves. This was referred to as the “great experiment”. It was an exceptional wave of migration that involved nearly half a million indentured laborers, either in Mauritius in the sugar cane plantations or on their way to Reunion, Australia or southern Africa. 

Built in 1849, this former depot (whose name is the Hindi translation of “immigration depot”) and transit site welcomed the indentured laborers – women, men and children – who had left their native land to work elsewhere in search of a better future: immigrants from Madagascar, East Africa, the Comoros and South-East Asia, who made up the diverse strata of the Mauritian population.

A Unesco World Heritage building

The Apraavasi Ghat is known to be the first sit

e of immigration of Indian workers to the island in the 19th century. The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, in recognition of its importance in the history of Mauritius and the Indian diaspora movement as a landing place for Indian indentured laborers. These immigrants played a key role in the economic development of Mauritius, but their history was marked by suffering and discrimination. The Apraavasi Ghat is therefore a powerful symbol of cultural diversity and the common heritage of humanity. The listing has helped to raise public awareness of the importance of the site and has encouraged the preservation of this important historic place. Today, the Apraavasi Ghat is a place of remembrance, thought and celebration that offers a unique opportunity to connect with the past and understand our present.

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1227

A place full of history as well as stories

Some vestiges of the original building have survived, a few rooms, the hospital, but above all, the moving 16-step staircase which many Mauritians’ ancestors climbed. Each of the immigrants who arrived on this site brought with them their history, their secret dreams and their hopes, and the walk through these shady places is filled with both charm and emotion.

To better guide visitors,the museum of the Apraavasi Ghat offers an interactive and fascinating insight into the way of life of these immigrants and the way the immigration center operated. Visitors can discover a number of daily objects: the ros kari, the basalt rock on which spices are crushed, the gonis (or jute bags in which sugar was stored), the katoras (or tin bowls) … There are also re-enactments of the living quarters, where conditions were more than precarious and which testify to the harshness of the life of these recruits.

The moving portrait wall

Each newcomer was photographed on arrival, and the photo was kept with his or her name, registration number and date of entry into the country. These thousands of black and white portraits and the beautiful cursive handwriting so typical of this century are certainly the highlight of this visit to the Apraavasi Ghat. Fierce or proud but always imbued with an indescribable beauty, these faces peer into the visitor’s soul and bear the painful nostalgia of an abandoned homeland. Knowing that the majority of Mauritians are the descendants of these men and women offers a different view of the extraordinary local mix of cultures.

A beautiful and emotional immersion, a journey to the origins of a large part of the Mauritian population: the Apraavasi Ghat will appeal to all history enthusiasts, but also to children and adults thanks to its authentic historical reconstitutions.