The Sacred Ganga Talao - Mauritius

Ganga Talao or Grand Bassin is a lake situated in a secluded mountain area in the district of Savanne, deep in the heart of Mauritius. It is about 1800 feet above sea level.

It is considered the most sacred Hindu place in Mauritius, according to Hindu mythology.

In 1998 it was declared a "sacred lake". In 1972, some holy water from the Ganges River was mixed establishing a symbolic link with the sacred Indian River and the lake was renamed Ganga Talao.

There is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and other Gods including Hanuman, Lakshmi and others along the Grand Bassin.

There is also a "Mangal Mahadev" statue which is 108 feet. It was inaugurated in 2007. It is also the highest known statue in Mauritius.

The Maha Shivaratri festival is among the most popular Hindu festivals in Mauritius and provides an occasion for great religious fervour and mass participation through the annual pilgrimage to the lake of Grand Bassin (‘Ganga Talao’). It is observed in the month of Phaguna (February— March) in honour of Shiva, one of the most celebrated Gods of the Hindu pantheon.

Shivaratri 2009 is on February 23, Monday