Hindu worshippers in the central Mauritius city of Curepipe celebrate Maha Shivratri, a festival honoring the deity Lord Shiva. Following an all-night vigil, devotees carry the "kanwar"--wooden arches covered with flowers--across the island to the lake at Grand Bassin to fetch holy water in a scene reminiscent of great rituals on the banks of the River Ganges. Despite their overwhelming numbers, Indo-Mauritians remain at the lowest rung of the economic ladder, owning barely 10 percent of the island's big companies.