PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Mauritius on a two-day state visit. He received a warm welcome by the Indian diaspora. He was greeted with a traditional Bihari cultural performance known as Geet Gawai. “Their strong connection to Indian heritage, culture and values is truly inspiring. This bond of history and heart continues to thrive across generations,” PM Modi wrote on X. The hotel members chanted ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ as Modi reached there. Modi and his counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam of Mauritius laid a wreath at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolsam Botanical Garden where both the leaders participated in a tree plantation drive. In December 2016, Geet Gawai was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in recognition of its cultural significance. According to the singers, Geets Gawai is deeply significant in life events, especially weddings, where it begins with invocations to deities. It is performed mainly by Bhojpuri-speaking communities in Mauritian who have Indian descent.