Beautiful sacred monuments in Mauritius Part 1

Mauritius' population is equivalent to 0.02% of the world population and one of the best part is that it is a multicultural country with a variety of religions. The majority of them practice Hinduism whereas Christianity, Buddhism, Islam are also observed with amazing religious festivals. We have simultaneously one of the most diverse and united population of the world. There is a sense of pride being part of such a country and respecting each other's culture and learning from it.

There is obviously much more than the sandy beaches in Mauritius. In fact, there are many religious sites for devotees around the island. Even tourists and those who are not religious, admire the sacred monuments. The architecture of the temples, mosques and churches are magnificently well constructed.

                  

There are lots of Hindu temples in Mauritius but the most famous among them is the 'Ganga Talao' temple known as 'Grand Bassin' in the local language. It is considered as one of the most sacred and spiritual site of the country and the lake in which the temples are standing is rumoured to be connected directly with the water of the Ganges in India.

      
      

The temple is situated on a dormant volcano crater with several other temples all around the lake. There are a few idols standing on the surface of the water with idols of Lord Ganesha, Lord Radha Krishna, surrounded by lush tropical forests. Lord Hanuman can be seen in a big temple which is situated at the very top of the crater.

        
                            
 

Tourists enjoy visiting this sacred place as there are the two tallest god statues ,Mangal Mahadev (Lord Shiva standing with his trident, 33metres- 108 feet) at the entrance of the 'Ganga Talao'. The other one is the Hindu goddess 'Durga Maa' located a few metres away from Lord Shiva. This impressive statue of Lord Shiva is actually a copy of the Shiva statue in Gujarat, India. 

         
                

Another Hindu temple which attracts a lot of devotees and tourists is the Venkateshwara Temple. It is dedicated to the lord Venkatesh (a form of lord Vishnu) and is covered with gold, rubies, pearls and other precious gems. The temple was constructed in the 1900s and went through a renovation in the 2010s with the help of South Indian artists. 

                 
                 

We also have the oldest Tamil temple which is another beautiful sacred monument in the capital of Mauritius. The temple is one of the most colourful and impressive architecture that was constructed in 1854 and admired by both devotees and tourists.