PM Modi visits Ganga Talao in Mauritius, pays obeisance to Lord Shiva

Port Louis: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited the Ganga Talao, considered to be the most sacred Hindu place in Mauritius, and offered prayers at the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.[caption id=“attachment_2150021” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Prime Minister Narendra Modi prays after pouring Ganga water into a sacred pond in Port Louis, Mauritius on Thursday. PTI [/caption] Modi, who held talks with Mauritius’ top leadership last night, began the second day of his trip here by visiting the holy site in the morning and performing ‘puja’ and ‘aarti’ at the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. “This morning I went to Ganga Talao. I felt a personal connection that comes from the banks of Ganga in my constituency – Benaras,” Modi said while addressing the National Assembly of Mauritius. “And, I understood the powerful links of heart that have endured time and distance in this magnificent land. Today, these links form the firmest foundation of our relationship,” he said. The Ganga Talao also known as the Grand Bassin is a crater lake situated in a secluded mountain area in the district of Savanne, deep in the heart of Mauritius. It is about 1,800 feet above sea level. The first group of pilgrims who went to Ganga Talao were from the village of Triolet and it was led by Pandit Giri Gossayne from Terre Rouge in 1898. It is considered the most sacred Hindu place in Mauritius and a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is situated on the lake-side. During Shivaratri, many pilgrims in Mauritius walk bare feet from their homes to the lake. PTI