Cavadee
Cavadee is celebrated in January/February. Along with the fire-walking and sword-climbing ceremonies, Cavadee is among the most spectacular Tamil events. The body pierced with needles and the tongue and cheeks with skewers, the devotee, trance-like and in penance, walks in procession to the temple bearing the "Cavadee", a wooden arch covered with flowers with a pot of milk at each end of its base which he or she places before the deity.

Chinese Spring Festival
The Spring Festival, which is the Chinese New Year, is celebrated in January/February, depending on the adjustment of lunar days. Red, symbol of happiness, is the dominant colour. Food is piled up to ensure abundance during the year and the traditional wax cake is distributed to relatives and friends. Firecrackers are lit to ward off evil spirits

Diwali
Diwali is the most jovial of all Hindu festivals. Celebrated in October/November it marks the victory of righteousness over evil in the Hindu mythology. Traditionally, clay oil lamps were placed in front of every home turning the island into a fairyland of flickering lights; these have now been replaced mostly by decorative electric lights.

Eid-ul-Fitr
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated to mark the end of Ramadhan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. It is a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing for Muslims. Prayers are offered at mosques during the morning.

Ganesh Chathurti
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated sometime in September, on the 4th day of the lunar month of the Hindu calendar. It marks the birthday of Ganesha, the God of wisdom and remover of all obstacles according to Hindu mythology.

Holi
Holi is the festival of colours. It celebrates the beginning of spring and people of the Hindu faith enjoy themselves by squirting coloured water and powder on one another. It is a time for rejoicing and exchanging greetings.

Maha Shivaratree
Maha Shivaratree is celebrated in honour of Hindu God, Siva (February). Hindu devotees, clad in spotless white, carry the "kanwar" - wooden arches covered with flowers on pilgrimage to Grand Bassin, to fetch holy water from the lake. The whole scene is reminiscent of the great rituals on the banks of the Holy Ganges in India.

Pre Laval Pilgrimage
In September, people of all faiths flock to the shrine of Father Jacques Dsir Laval, a 19th century French missionary, in Sainte Croix, Port Louis. One can almost catch a glimpse of Lourdes in the fervour of the crowd who attributes miraculous healing powers to this holy man.

Coloured Earth Of Chamarel
Among the oddest sites of the island are the seven-coloured dunes at Chamarel, believed to result from the weathering of volcanic rocks. These undulating and vividly contrasted layers of earth are a short drive away from the beautiful Chamarel waterfalls.

Lle Aux Cerfs
"Mauritius is water and water sports rule the day. The Mecca of the water-sporty types is the Island of Lle Aux Cerfs, on the south coast. Be sure to take an entire day off for this experience as the island is a self-contained amusement centre with two restaurants, a boat house and every imaginable activity that you may want to do in, out or above the water available here. You can dive, hire a speedboat, snorkel, para-sail, ride in a glass-bottomed boat, water ski or hire a motorised paddleboat or a water scooter the activities are as wide-ranging as your imagination."

Trou Aux Cerfs
Trou Aux Cerfs, an extinct volcanic crater, 85 m deep and over 200 m in width. This is almost the single highest vantage point in the island centre, from which one can soak in glorious views of Mauritius. Geological evidence confirms that Mauritius was created as a result of an eruption of this volcano, eons ago may many more such volcanoes spout all over the world, was my reaction.

Language Spoken
The official language of Mauritius is English. Together with English, French is also used in instruction in the educational system. The most widely-spoken language of the country is Mauritian Creole. Hindi also has numerous speakers in the country, although it is restricted to the Indian community. Several other languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi and dialects of Chinese, such as Cantonese, Hakka and Mandarin, are also spoken. The Indian languages are spoken by descendants of the labourers brought from British India during the British rule.

Passport/ VISA
British citizens require a valid passport. A visa is not required if the passport is endorsed British Citizen or British Dependent Territories Citizen for a stay of up to six months for tourist purposes, or up to 90 days for business