Moris
The giant Shiva statue at Grand Bassin
Photo: Starts / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

🏛️ Culture, history & markets · Central plateau

Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao)

A sacred crater lake for Mauritian Hindus, surrounded by temples and guarded by two giant statues of Shiva and Durga.

🚗 From the villa50 min · 30.7 kmoff-peak estimate
⏱️ Time needed45 min – 1.5 hnot counting the drive
🕓 Best time of day☀️ Morning · 🌤️ Afternoon
💰 PriceFree

Grand Bassin is a crater lake in the forested highlands, believed to be connected to the holy Ganges. Temples line the shore, and the 33-m statue of Shiva (Mangal Mahadev) at the entrance is one of the tallest in the world. During Maha Shivaratri (February/March), hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk here from all over the island.

Visitors are welcome at the temples (shoes off, modest dress). Monkeys play around the lake.

  • 33-m statues of Shiva and Durga
  • Temples around the sacred lake
The giant Shiva statue at Grand Bassin
Photo: Starts / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Temples on the shore of Ganga Talao
Photo: Jean-Marc Astesana from Voisins le Bretonneux, France / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Getting there

Driving route from the villa

🚗 By car: 50 min (30.7 km) off-peak. Large car park by the statues. Directions in Google Maps ↗

  • 🚕 Taxi from the villa: about Rs 1,250–1,650 one way per car (agree the price first; a return trip with waiting time is often negotiable).

Tips

  • 💡 Cover shoulders and knees, and remove shoes at the temples.
  • 💡 Keep food away from the monkeys.

Our notes & votes