late October/ November is the best time to visit Fiji but we can’t go since some of y’all are incapable of following lockdown guidelines <3. So let’s settle for this tour instead

but as stunning as is, let’s take a moment to acknowledge how our Desis got there
- introduced between 1879 to 1916
- nearly 60,000 Indians (mainly Awadhis, Bhojpuris, Tamilians and Telugus) arrived as girmatyas
- were treated like a commodity by their “employers” (owners)

Today they make up 40% of Fiji. Mostly situated in the islands of Vanua Levu & Viti Levu

It’s also important to note that there are large populations of Indo-Fijians in NZ, Australia, US and Canada who immigrated during 80s-90s.
- in 2000, the only Indian-Fijian PM was overthrown via a coup. During this time, Desis were physical assaulted & their property vandalized

Nevertheless, they’ve made their mark on this archipelago nation starting with their places of worship

Indian-Fijian food capitalizes on spicy and sour flavors- blending traditional Desi spices and techniques with Fijian ingredients

But in true Desi fashion you KNOW they’ve got sweet tooths- Desi Mitthai with a Fijian twist :)

They’ve even developed their own dance form simply known as Indo-Fijian dance !! It’s a blend of Indian classical moves with a local Fijian dance form

Fijian Desis have created their own unique language known as Fijian Hindi- a blend of Awadhi, Bhojpuri, and Fijian with several Tamil and Telugu loan words. Post partition several Sindhis and Punjabis migrated to Fiji and have influenced the local language greatly

In conclusion, Desis in Fiji are a resilient community- doing everything they can to hold onto their culture while expanding it to honor the nation they live in and must be honored