Mangal Mahadev, Hindu statue in Bois Chérie, Mauritius.
Mangal Mahadev is a 33 m (108 ft) tall sculpture of the Hindu god Shiva standing with his Trishula at the entrance of Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin), a crater lake in the Savanne district. It is a replica of the Shiva statue at Sursagar lake in Vadodara, Gujarat, India, and is the tallest statue in Mauritius.
The statue was built in 2007 and consecrated a year later during a major Hindu festival. It was created to establish an important religious site for the island's Hindu community.
The name Mangal Mahadev designates Shiva, and the 33 m statue stands at the entrance of Ganga Talao, the crater lake of the Savanne district held as the most sacred Hindu site in Mauritius. Around the Shiva temple and the statue rise shrines to Durga, Hanuman, Lakshmi and Ganesh. During Shivaratri, pilgrims walk barefoot from their homes to the lake and pray at the feet of the sculpture.
The statue is located in a rural area near a crater lake, so comfortable walking shoes are advisable. The surroundings include several temples and a lake to explore, requiring time to walk around the site.
The 33 m figure is a replica of the Shiva statue at Sursagar lake in Vadodara, Gujarat, and is the tallest statue in Mauritius. The "Sthapan" consecration took place during the Maha Shivratri period of 2008, a year after the 2007 inauguration.
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