Port Lewis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the holy Ganga pond on Wednesday during a visit to Mauritius. He described it as an emotional experience. The Prime Minister offered prayers at the Ganga pond, considered the most sacred Hindu pilgrimage site in the Indian Ocean Islands and also immersed the holy water brought from the Triveni Sangam during Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. PM Modi posted on X on Wednesday, “The holy Ganga pond in Mauritius was emotional. The spiritual relations between the two countries can be easily felt on the banks of its sacred stream. It is beyond the boundaries and connects many of our generations to their roots. ”
The Ganges Talab, also known as the Grand Basin in Mauritius, is a crater lake, which is about 550 meters above sea level. It is located in the hill of Saven in the southwest district. The temple is also located on its banks.
Local people believe that this place was discovered by a Hindu priest around 1897. In the 1970s, another priest from India brought holy water from the Ganges and dumped the holy water in the lake, thus named ‘Ganga Talab’. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Mauritius’ National Day celebrations as the chief guest for the second time. During the ceremony, he was awarded the highest civilian honor of Mauritius.
After participating in the program, Prime Minister Modi wrote on X, “I feel honored by attending Mauritius’ National Day celebrations. I wish the people of Mauritius constant prosperity and success, as well as strengthen deep relations between our countries. ” This is the second time PM Modi attended Mauritius’ National Day celebrations. He had earlier attended the ceremony in 2015.
During the ceremony, Mauritius President Dharambir Gokhul honored Prime Minister Modi with Mauritius’s highest civilian honor ‘Grand Commander of the Star and Ki of the Indian Ocean’ (GCSK). This is the first time an Indian leader received this honor. It is also the 21st International Award given by a country to Prime Minister Modi.