Maha Shivratri is celebrated annually with great pomp at Ganga Talao, Grand Bassin in Mauritius. It is an opportunity for the Satyam Gyanam Anandam Society (SGAS) to actively participate in this event by offering food and drinks to the pilgrims and more particularly, to shed light on the inner voyage that the pilgrimage represents.
Accordingly, an exhibition was set up at Ganga Talao from 6 to 12 February 2010 with video projections, books authored by Swami Paramananda and other materials to help pilgrims discover the spiritual aspects of Maha Shivaratri, the symbolism of the Shiva Lingam and the significance of the different rituals involved in the festival.
On that occasion, a special invitation was made to foreigners who come to Ganga Talao from different parts of the world to celebrate Maha Shivaratri every year. They were offered to start the inner pilgrimage under the guidance of Swami Paramananda at the Lao Tzu Meditation Centre, Beau Climat, where the SGAS had organized another exhibition.
Year in and year out, people have remained on the periphery of outward ritualism and have failed to grasp that the outer pilgrimage to Ganga Talao is an overt indication of the inner journey. What is required is inner transformation – the transformation of the heart and mind to make Shiva’s worship meaningful. This was beautifully illustrated by the SGAS exhibition and invitation to the pilgrims to start the inner pilgrimage.
