MAURITIUS, February 17, 2015 (Le Mauricien): There were big crowds at Grand-Bassin this weekend. Some 200,000 pilgrims visited Ganga Talao to collect holy water as part of the Maha Shivaratri rituals. Yesterday, the pilgrims from the northern part of the island were on their way back, while those of the Plains-Wilhems and south of the island converged on the holy lake.
Around 6PM yesterday, hundreds of devotees of the Rose Hill area accompanied by the Veeramundur Band caused a traffic jam in Candos, towards La Marie and Petrin. Parking areas were all occupied at Grand-Bassin, forcing the police to convert a pedestrian lane to accommodate parking for all the vehicles. The traffic slowdown was also partly caused by crowds gathering at the tent-booths that had been erected on the side of the road to provide food and refreshments to the pilgrims. The biggest kanwars also disrupted traffic at strategic points leading to the sacred lake. [A kanwar is a large religious display usually carried on the shoulders, but here in Mauritius, some devotees have built ones for the festival that roll on wheels and barely fit in a lane on the road.]
Despite appeals of the leaders of socio-cultural organizations, most kanwars were large, rather than individual affairs, and had to be transported by many devotees. Despite the scorching heat, fatigue and sore feet, pilgrims have traveled dozens of kilometers in the fervor and spirit of devotion in honor of Lord Siva.