Arrival of Indentured Labourers in Mauritius

A fixed public holiday

Mauritius’s Public Holidays Act lists the day commemorating the Arrival of Indentured Labourers among the public holidays observed every year and fixes it on 2 November. The Act allows certain official acts due on a public holiday to be carried out the following day; it does not list a replacement date for this holiday when it falls on a weekend.[1]

For workers, the Workers’ Rights Act provides normal day’s pay when a public holiday other than Sunday falls on a worker’s normal working day. If a worker is required to work that day, the Act provides for additional remuneration under its overtime rules.[3]

The history behind the date

The date recalls the arrival of the ship Atlas in Port Louis harbour on 2 November 1834, carrying 36 indentured labourers. An Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund account says permission to land was granted later and the workers came ashore on 4 November near the old Customs House, close to today’s Aapravasi Ghat. The commemoration marks the ship’s arrival and the wider history of indenture in Mauritius.[2]

After the British Empire abolished slavery in 1834, the British government selected Mauritius for an experiment in replacing enslaved labour with indentured workers. Between 1834 and 1920, almost half a million indentured labourers arrived from India at Aapravasi Ghat, many to work on sugar plantations. The site represents a chapter of a migration system that spread worldwide.[2]

How Mauritius commemorates the day

The Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund describes the annual observance as a time to remember the sacrifices and achievements of indentured workers and their place in the making of the Mauritian nation.[2]

Recent official commemorations have included wreath-laying at Aapravasi Ghat and the Lotus Monument at Antoinette Phooliyar, as well as speeches, cultural items and an exhibition. The Ministry of Arts and Culture’s account documents these as activities held for the 2025 anniversary; programmes can vary from year to year.[4]

Practical arrangements

The law establishes 2 November as a public holiday, and the Workers’ Rights Act sets out pay provisions for workers on public holidays. These laws do not specify whether individual shops, banks, visitor sites or transport services will open, so check directly with the place or operator before making plans.[1][3]