Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Mauritius on a two-day visit, performed a puja at Ganga Talao, a crater lake with a Shiva temple.
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00:00I am taking you directly to Mauritius, the island nation where Prime Minister Narendra
00:04Modi presently is and he is performing a puja ceremony, a prayer ceremony in Mauritius.
00:09This remember is not just of course about the ethnic connectivity, cultural similarities
00:15but there is a massive Indian diaspora as well and that traces generation back over
00:214 to 5 generations to India.
00:22So strong Indian roots and Mauritius Prime Minister also alongside.
00:28A beautiful moment, the prayer ceremony we will get more details on what exactly is happening
00:34on the ground but remember this has been quite a fruitful visit of Prime Minister Narendra
00:38Modi.
00:39He has been awarded the highest civilian honour.
00:41Details depend also to this prayer ceremony on the sidelines.
01:00Know that Mauritius is not as isolated to the Hindu culture or Indian roots.
01:05It was during even the Pran Pratishtha ceremony that Mauritius foreign minister had even visited
01:13Ayodhya's Ram Mandir.
01:15He was very happy to see the temple Mauritius has had sent along certain gifts and more
01:21with regard to when the Pran Pratishtha was being organized among other nations that did
01:25it too.
01:26So Mauritius clearly in many ways acknowledging the Hindu connect and it's not just about
01:32the diaspora but the old historical civilizational aspect with Mauritius as well.
01:37Mauritius and India go way back when it comes to cultural roots but because right now remember
01:42that with the strong diaspora the Prime Minister himself of Mauritius has Indian roots and
01:48therefore perhaps in many ways it's that one similarity a thread that both countries have
01:55found a bond with and India aims to become remember a voice of the global south, a leader
02:01of the global south and he's already said that Mauritius is family and it will be a
02:07vision of global south together.
02:10There's already been the day too where he signed pacts, he received the highest civilian
02:15honor the first Indian to be the recipient of Mauritius highest civilian award and then
02:20a prayer ceremony by the banks of a river.
02:23We'll try and get more details on that but it's been a long-standing relationship that
02:26India has had with Mauritius.
02:28It intends to consistently push for it remember one aspect is the Indian Ocean but then there's
02:34a shared history, there's demography, there's culture and that is something that India and
02:40Mauritius continue to be on the same page with.
02:45We are told that the armed forces also were part of the National Day Parade of Mauritius.
02:51It's the deepening defense and bilateral ties so there's there is a strategic issue here
02:56especially with regard to geopolitics connectivity where the island nation is located and then
03:02comes in of course the Hindu connect.
03:05Joining me now from joining me now for the latest our foreign affairs editor Geeta Mohan
03:11this is by the banks of Ganga Talau.
03:13We are told very interesting Geeta that apart from of course receiving the honor the whole
03:19bilateral pact signing there comes in a puja ceremony too.
03:24Well that's right Ganga Talau basically is a crater lake you know Mauritius has volcanoes
03:31this is one of the crater lakes in Savannah in Mauritius and which is where the puja is
03:41being performed.
03:42There is a Shiv Mandir located on the bank of that lake and is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
03:48So the fact that the roots of religion are also historical between India and Mauritius
03:57it's not just the people there are temples that are dedicated to various gods in Mauritius
04:03whether it's Hanuman, Ganesha or for that matter Shiva.
04:08This is one of the banks where there's a Shiv temple and he is offering his prayers
04:14Ganga Jal being poured into the Ganga Talau which is a crater lake in Mauritius and there
04:22are many Hindus in Mauritius who actually very very devout Hindus who actually go and
04:32visit this very temple Shiva temple during Shivratri and it is almost like a pilgrimage
04:39going to that lake and coming back.
04:41So for Prime Minister Narendra Modi it is yet another moment to celebrate Hinduism and
04:50not just celebrate Hinduism in India but also in Mauritius which has a historical.
04:55Also Geeta I'm told because this is such a strong seat for as a Hindu pilgrimage site
05:00one of the most significant when it comes to the island nation.
05:03I hear that the site is also being redeveloped.
05:05Indian government is helping it transform and realizing that at this point because it
05:10was when President Murmu also had visited Mauritius last year that India realizes the
05:14connectivity is not just with regard to strategic location or geopolitics but
05:19literally a cultural religious connect to here.
05:23Absolutely look at the kind of countries and the ideas that this administration has
05:32had when it comes to religious tourism connectivity whether it's Indonesia many
05:37other Southeast Asian countries for that matter a very important country in the African
05:41continent and a very important strategic partner when it comes to the Indian Ocean
05:47and India-Saudi diplomacy.
05:49But this is also religious diplomacy that you're seeing at best by Prime Minister Narendra
05:54Modi where he is also emphasizing the importance of that very rooted connectivity between
06:01India and Mauritius which goes beyond strategic, beyond sway and yes there are about 20 projects
06:11that were to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi funded by India one of which is also
06:17development of old historical sites including that of this temple and this area around.
06:25On with me Gita let's dip into these visuals coming in from Ganga Talao in Mauritius
06:32the prayer ceremony that was on and the viewer must know when the Prana Pratishtha was being
06:36done of the Ram Mandir it was Mauritian government that gave a two-hour leave even
06:40to public servants to be able to be able to watch and be a part of that ceremony in Ayodhya.