The Kavadee festival is a public holiday in Mauritius and Mauritians of many backgrounds come out to observe the procession or pour water on the hot road to ease the suffering of the barefoot devotees. The festival is the hallmark of Tamil identity in Mauritius, and has been preserved with integritiy since the arrival of Tamil Hindus in Mauritius in the 1830s. Unlike in India, this festival is embraced and practiced by the educated urban elite along with local villagers.