Rituals and Pilgrimage in Palermo's Mauritian Hindu Community

This study explores how Mauritian Hindu migrants in Palermo adapt to their new environment through ritual practices, aiding their social integration and they're lived spaces. Using qualitative methods, including ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and participant observation, the research investigates how these rituals act as interventions in the migrants’ adaptation process. The objective is to understand how religious practices contribute to fostering a sense of belonging, identity negotiation, and community cohesion within the Mauritian diaspora in Palermo. The study also focuses on second-generation migrants, examining how they innovate and adapt rituals to create new forms of spiritual and social engagement in a transnational setting. For the Mauritian community, primarily Hindu, the most important festival of the year is dedicated to Ganesh, revealing significant affinities with local ritual practices. In September, coinciding with the pilgrimage to Santa Rosalia, a grand procession at sea takes place in honor of Ganesh at "Arenella beach", an ancient fishing village in the Piana dei Colli. The celebration concludes with the immersion of the effigy representing the elephant-headed deity, symbolizing auspiciousness as the trunk is raised high. Notably, during the procession, Mauritians leave their private domestic temple, sanctifying the entire external space along the ritual route. One of the obligatory stops is at the slopes of Mount Pellegrino, highlighting the evident symbolism of the "axis mundi".