Gawai is a pre-wedding ceremony that incorporates rituals, prayer, music, dance, and songs. Most commonly this ceremony is performed by Indians from the Bhojpuri-speaking community of Mauritius. "Geet Gawai", or "singing songs" in Bhojpuri arrived with the Indian indentured laborers who arrived from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, both states in northern India. When they left for Mauritius, they took only the essentials.
The Indian colonies on Mauritius had been occupied by about a half-million people for more than a century when they brought their cultures, their gods, and their diverse musical traditions with them. Due to the lack of instruments on the island, the singers often adapted the Indian musical tradition of Geet-Gawai to objects of Mauritius' daily life that could serve as instruments.
The Geet-Gawai Band is a women-only ensemble that performs traditional Hindu wedding music. These occasions offer a unique opportunity to discover traditions inherited from their ancestors in northern India. It takes place at the bride's and groom's homes and involves the female family members and neighbors. The ceremony begins with five married women sorting the items (turmeric, rice, grass, and money) in a cloth, while other participants sing songs that honor Hindu gods and goddesses.
Following the sanctifying of the site, the mother of the bride or groom, along with a drummer, honor the musical instruments to be played during the ceremony. These include the drum dholak (a two-headed drum). Then, uplifting songs are performed, and everyone joins in and dances. Geet-Gawai embodies community identity and is part of the collective memory of Indian society. Additionally, it provides participants with a sense of pride, enhances social integration, and breaks class and caste barriers.
Small copper pots called "lota" were used in everyday life as accompaniments to the Geet-Gawai songs. The "chamcha" – a pair of spoons – is used as percussion. Thanks to the ingenuity of the musicians, some instruments from the tradition have remained like the "jhaal" (small copper cymbals) and the "dholak" (two-sided drum). The "thali", the metal plate on which people eat, can also be used as a musical instrument when the occasion arises.
The practice and its associated skills are passed on informally and formally from older generations to younger ones. Observation and participation in the practice of Geet-Gawai are conducted by families, semi-formal teaching institutions, community centers, and academies.
Bhojpuri folklore evolved in Mauritius and its adaptation is absolutely fascinating to anthropologists and ethnologists. Today, the practice is extended to public performances, and men are also involved.