Refurbished Kholu Monument Unveiled

A refurbished model of the existing traditional ‘kholu’ was unveiled by the Assistant Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Joseph Nand at the Girmit Cultural Centre in Lautoka on Friday.

The initial monument was handed over to the Fiji Girmit Council in 2004 and was established at the Lautoka Girmit Cultural Centre in Lautoka.

However, the condition of the structure began to deteriorate due to its exposure to weather conditions.

Mr Nand said the monument was gifted to the Fiji Girmit Council by the Pillay family of Tavua in memory of their late girmitiya grandfather.

“The kholu, a non-mechanical grinder is an intangible cultural heritage element of our Indo-Fijian brothers and protecting it means we are protecting the culture,” he said.

He said the kholu was also known as the oil ghani machine which was used traditionally to process oil used in India.

“Additionally this project will benefit our communities; it will conserve items and events of historical and cultural significance. It will provide an avenue to the younger generation to learn about their ancestors and to protect their identity and culture,” he said.

Fiji Girmit Council executive secretary Selwa Nandan thanked the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts for the $7000 grant that assisted with the refurbishment and said that he hoped their partnership would continue.

“We felt that since it was an antique piece, a sort of artefact related to girmit history and heritage, it was our duty to preserve it,” he said.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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