With deep family ties in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, I hold a strong passion for the island’s rich and complex culture.

Given its geographic location and colonial past, Mauritius is home to a uniquely diverse population—ethnically, culturally, linguistically, and spiritually. It is the only country in Africa where Hinduism is the most widely practised religion. Indo-Mauritians make up the majority, alongside significant Creole, Sino-Mauritian, and Franco-Mauritian communities.

Photographing the people connecting at Champs de Mars is one way I share a piece of Mauritian Creole life—something deeply personal, layered, and woven into my family’s own tapestry.

The island bears the visible and invisible scars of slavery and indenture, while also carrying the beauty and complexity of many ethnic groups and communities from across the world—coexisting, mixing, and creating something uniquely Mauritian on this small island in the Indian Ocean.

The Mauritius Turf Club is the oldest horse-racing club in the Southern Hemisphere, and the second oldest in the world. The track has played a fundamental role in making horse racing one of the most popular pastimes and forms of entertainment among the local population. I began by exploring The People’s Turf Club PLC. Entry to the stands and restaurant is free to the public—as long as you're smartly dressed. That detail alone says so much about the social textures of this place.

I connected with the security team, the waitresses, the cooks, the cleaners—as well as the general public, both inside and outside the turf club. I felt drawn to photograph the people who gather here, because the event brings together such a wide cross-section of Mauritian society. The energy is full of movement—a unique hustle and bustle, driven by the people who make the day what it is.

It’s more than just horse racing. It’s a cultural intersection, a social ritual, a shared moment of intensity. The passion for the occasion spills far beyond the races or the betting. But there’s also a darker side—an emotional undercurrent not often spoken about. People and families can lose everything. And that too is part of this world, part of the emotional reality.

What stays with me is the connection I felt—especially with the young boys and the older generations who have a deep-rooted love for this place and what it represents.