Ganga Talao or Grand-Bassin of Mauritius Island
Mauritius!
Just north of the Tropic of Capricorn lies the island country of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It's actually a few islands; a main island and three other islands, and about 22 largely uninhabited islands. Mauritius is striking because it once was a volcano. Extinct for some 100,000 years, you have peaks and rock strutting right down into the sea. And, as if icing on the wondrous landscape, a coral reef surrounds the islands.
Mauritius is one of the most exotic beach destinations. Sometimes, maybe what makes these places so attractive is that they are so hard to get to. It's like digging for gold. When you do find it, it is a pleasure not many have experienced. The Dodo bird, a large, flightless critter, once lived here. When the Dutch arrived around 1600, they killed off most of them. Their pets killed the rest and they were extinct by 1681. Yes, the Dutch sailors might have eaten a few, but it was actually something else that did them in.
In the 17th century, the Dutch cut down most of the ebony trees and sold them in Europe. This was home and food source for the Dodo bird. Along with the animals brought from the ships; rats, cats, dogs, pigs... these destroyed most of the nests. The Dutch did bring one thing you may see while in Mauritius is Deer. The Sambhar Deer is actually a protected species.
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 Island. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and other hindu deities including Hanuman, Lakshmi, and others along the Grand Bassin. During Shivaratri, many pilgrims in Mauritius walk bare feet from their homes to the lake.
The main attraction of this picturesque Bassin, apart from its spectacular beauty is its interesting legend. Grand Bassin is a sacred lake in Mauritius that is believed to be filled with the waters of the holy Ganges of India. This Lake is of immense religious significance for the Hindus residing here.
According to the legend, it is believed that the Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism, was traveling around the earth with his wife Parvati, with holy Ganges water balanced on his head, when he saw this deserted, beautiful island and decided to land here. He then spilled some drops of the sacred Ganges River into a crater of an extinct volcano on this island and created a small lake that we now know as Grand Bassin Lake in Mauritius. After that Shiva prophesized that some of the people who at some point of time have lived along the banks of Ganges in India would later on reside on this island and glorify Ganges here as well.
Every year on the day of Maha Shivaratri, that is "Shiva's Great Night", Hindu community staying in Mauritius perform a pilgrimage to this site and honor Lord Shiva at the temple located near Grand Bassin, Mauritius with offerings. During the pilgrimage to the Ganga Talao, food like bananas and coconut and various aromatic flowers are offered to the Lord Shiva. This day is usually celebrated on the thirteenth day of the dark half of the passage of the moon in the month of Maasi which falls in the February or March month of the year.
"Mark Twain who visited Mauritius Island in year 1896 was so impressed by its beauty and said that, "God first made Mauritius and from it, He created Paradise."