Grand Bassin Ganga Talao

Grand Bassin, known to Mauritian Hindus as Ganga Talao, is a crater lake high in the forested centre of the island. Its water is revered as linked to the Ganges, and shrines to Shiva, Hanuman, Ganesha, Lakshmi and other deities line its banks.

Near the entrance stands Mangal Mahadev, a 33-metre statue of Lord Shiva, with a towering statue of Durga Maa close by. Every year at Maha Shivaratri, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk here from across the island, many carrying decorated kanwars.

For many Indian travellers this is the most moving stop in Mauritius. Remove your shoes at the shrines, dress modestly and keep food out of sight of the monkeys. It fits easily into a south-west day with Chamarel and the Black River Gorges.