Aapravasi Ghat, Immigration depot in Port Louis, Mauritius
Aapravasi Ghat is a preserved immigration depot at the harbor in Port Louis, Mauritius, which served as the arrival point for thousands of laborers. The site includes stone structures along the waterfront, among them administrative rooms and waiting areas accessible from the original jetty.
The complex opened in 1849 as the central receiving point for Indian indentured laborers under British colonial rule. Over seven decades, people from various parts of India passed through here before being distributed to sugar plantations across Mauritius.
The name comes from Hindi and means immigration quay, reflecting the connection between this site and the newcomers. The grounds still show the spatial separation of the original arrival areas, where people from different regions of India used separate waiting rooms.
The center offers guided tours through seven exhibition halls that explain the arrival process using documents and objects. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear, as the paths are partly uneven and the visit covers both indoor and outdoor spaces.
The steps at the waterfront entrance have remained nearly unchanged since 1860 and still show the wear from thousands of feet. The site also served as a stopover for later emigrants traveling from Mauritius to other parts of the British colonial empire.
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