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Maha Shivaratree Celebration in Mauritius The Maha Shivaratree 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’).Grand Bassin is a lake situated in a secluded area in the district of Savanne, deep in the heart of Mauritius. It is about 1800 feet above sea level and is surrounded by natural scenery of breathtaking beauty. In 1972 sacred water from the Ganges was poured into the lake which, from then on came to be called the ‘Ganga Talao’, the lake of the Ganges. The annual pilgrimage to Grand Bassin has become a very important feature in the religious life of the Hindu community of Mauritius. The Festival itself is preceded by weeks of preparation and discipline, during at least one week of which no meat and alcohol are consumed. Three days before the festival proper, devotees start on a pilgrimage to the ‘Ganga Talao’. Men, women and children, all dressed in white, in their thousands, from every nook and corner of the island, travel to the lake on foot, in a slow and never-ending procession. On their way, a journey of twenty or thirty miles, they carry on their shoulders, sometimes by twos or fours, structures made of bamboo and decorated with paper streamers and small multi-coloured tinkling bells. Some of these ‘Kanwars’ as they are known, are minor artistic masterpieces built mostly like domed temples, rippling with colours and flashing with the reflected lights of countless mirrors. In various places around the island, tarpaulin shelters are set up for these pilgrims to rest by taking a break during their journey. Light meals and soft drinks are often offered at these stop-over points The pilgrims gladly carry these ‘Kanwars’ on their necks and shoulders symbolising their loving surrender and obedience to the Divine will. When they reach the Ganga Talao, and after a short rest, they offer prayers to Lord Shiva and to their favourite deities at the various shrines around the lake. After prayers, it is time for the pilgrims to start on their long journey back carrying their ‘lotas’ (small pots of brass) or bottles filled with the sacred water from the lake. On the day of the Maha Shivaratree itself, the sacred water is brought to the temple in their locality and poured on the ‘Shiva Linga’. It is estimated that about 250,000 people go on pilgrimage to Grand Bassin every year. To the visitor who comes by car or coach, the experience may be rather unnerving, what with the slow-moving traffic, the jams, the thousands of men and women and the ‘Kanwars’ of various shapes and sizes crowding the streets. Below are some photos of the different types of ‘Kanwars’ carried by the pilgrims during the Maha Shivaratree festival. Some of these ‘Kanwars’ are so high that one person has to walk in front with a forked pole to lift off the electric cables on the way. | |
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 A shrine at Grand Bassin | |
 The Ganga Talao lake | |
 Giant statue of Lord Shiva at Grand Bassin | |
 A prayer area at Grand Bassin | |
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