Intimità sacra e nuove appartenenze nella devozione dei Mauriziani induisti a Santa Rosalia (Palermo)

Through a participatory ethnography of the acchianata pilgrimage, the article examines Hindu Mauritians’ devotion to Santa Rosalia (‘a Santuzza’) in Palermo. The essay contributes to the existing literature on the participation of migrant group in the worship of Santa Rosalia by presenting the specificities of Hindu Mauritians’ ritual practices based on the features of their departure context. The research subjects position their worship of the patron saint – as the deity of their arrival city – alongside their devotion to Hindu female goddesses, by drawing analogies between local devotional practices and the religious experiences of postcolonial Mauritius. The Santuzza and her sacred mountain (Monte Pellegrino) are adopted as divine mediators of the problems and desires arising from their mobility. Migrant subjects incorporate Catholic ritual gestures and symbols in their votive dialogue with Santa Rosalia, establishing an emotional and spiritual connection with the city of Palermo through the sacred space of Monte Pellegrino, while demanding miracles from her deity to facilitate processes such as learning the Italian language and aspiring for greater social mobility. The intimate relationship with Santa Rosalia provides her devotees with a creative space for the construction of new forms of transnational belonging and a privileged interface with the new city and its inhabitants.