Good Friday and Easter – along with other days during Holy Week – are some of the most important on the Christian calendar. During this time, Christian communities around the world commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ through a variety of religious rituals and observances.
However, while these dates have religious significance for Christians, they have also become important for some Hindu and Muslim communities in South Africa. The story of Easter’s significance for these South African Hindus and Muslims is intertwined with slavery, colonialism and indentured labour – all of which have shaped the history of modern South Africa.
South African Indians number about 1.5 million people, around 2% of the country’s population, concentrated in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal. Most South African Indians trace their roots to indentured workers who were brought by the British colonial government between 1860 to 1911 to grow the colonial economy by working on sugarcane plantations. The majority of these indentured workers came from modern-day Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, with a smaller percentage coming from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
For these migrant workers who found themselves in an unfamiliar land, religious ceremonies and rituals provided a way to build community and a shared identity. For the…
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