Ganga Talao is a lake situated in a secluded mountain area in the district of Savanne, in the center of Mauritius. It is a crater lake within an extinct volcano. Ganga Talao lies 1800 feet above sea level and has a small island in its middle. 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 There is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and other Gods including Hanuman, Lakshmi, and others along the Grand Bassin. During Shivaratri, many pilgrims in Mauritius walk bare feet from their homes to the lake. According to Hindu legend, the God Shiva and his wife Parvati were circling the earth, with the sacred river Ganges balanced on Shiva's head. Shiva noticed a beautiful, deserted island and decided to land, but in the course of touching down there, he spilled a few drops of the Ganges onto the island, creating a small lake.
The Ganges, to no surprise, wasn't thrilled with having some of her precious water left behind on the island, but Shiva replied by saying that some day the people who resided along her riverbanks in India would settle on this deserted island and come to worship her there. And so was born the sacred lake, Ganga Talao, now home to the biggest annual pilgrimage of Hindus outside of India. Each winter, hundreds of thousands of Hindus descend upon the lake, some coming from as far away as South Africa, to give offerings to Shiva and this distant "tributary" of the Ganges. It's one of the most important events on the Mauritius calendar. Unfortunately, I was about four months too late to participate in the festival itself, but that wouldn't stop us from paying our respects during the off-season.
Origins of the Maha Shivratri - In 1897 Shri Jhummon Giri Gosagne, a ‘pujari’ (priest) of Triolet saw in a dream the water of the lake of Grand Bassin springing from the ‘Jahnvi’, thus forming part of Ganga. The news of the dream spread rapidly and created quite a stir in the Hindu community. The following year, pilgrims trekked to Grand Bassin to collect its water to offer to Lord Shiva on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. The lake was then known as the ‘Pari Talao’,
During the Maha Shivaratri most of the devotees leave their homes and start a journey to Grand Bassin on foot. It has been a tradition that volunteer people offer foods and drinks to the pilgrims (the devotees).
