The next big celebration up on the Mauritian events calendar 2017 is Thaipusam Cavadee on 9^th February, a festival of Tamil origin.

This is a public holiday in Mauritius and celebrated in honour of Lord Subramaniam, also known as Lord Murugan.

To mark this day of penance and thanksgiving, it is tradition for Hindus to pierce their body with metal skewers and carry pots of milk on their heads along a four-kilometre procession.

In advance of the festival, devotees prepare by cleansing themselves through fasting, celibacy and prayer for 48 hours.

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