Ganga Talao Lake (Gran Bassin) is located in the southern part of the island of Mauritius, in the mountainous region of Savan County, 2 km from the eastern border of the Black River Gorge National Park. The lake is located in the crater of an extinct volcano at an altitude of 550 meters above sea level. There is a legend that the lake is connected with the sacred river Ganges. According to legend, the god Shiva and his wife, the goddess Parvati, traveled the world. During the journey, to protect the Earth from floods, Shiva carried the Ganges River on his head. When they made a stop on the island of Mauritius, Shiva accidentally spilled water from a sacred river, so Lake Ganga Talao was formed. In the middle of it there is an island - the island of God, the mortal’s foot is forbidden to step on it. Gran Bassin is considered a sacred lake for Hindus, is a place of pilgrimage for believers practicing Hinduism, and, at the same time, one of the tourist attractions of the island of Mauritius. It is said that in 1897 a priest dreamed that Lake Gran Bassin came from the Ganges River. The news of this quickly spread among the local population, and already on the next holiday of the god Shiva - Mahashivaratri, a stream of pilgrims rushed to the lake, wishing to collect sacred water. Over time, the Hindu temple of the god Shiva and the sanctuary of the monkey god Hanuman were built on the lake, curbstones for offerings to the gods were installed, and in 2007 the construction of the 33-meter statue of Shiva (Mangala Mahadev) was completed - its construction was carried out over 20 years. Every year, during the festival of the god Shiva, a stream of people rushes to the lake from all over the island, walking on foot to the Ganga Talao. A separate road was specially laid for the pilgrims next to the highway. There is also a tradition that those who travel to Gran Bassin by car share food and water with pedestrians. A lot of fish live in the clear waters of the lake, and a whole colony of monkeys settled on its shores, which visitors feed with fruits. It is believed that anyone who wet their feet in the waters of the sacred lake Ganga Talao will receive the blessing of Shiva himself.