By Chantalé Fletcher
HINDUS in Tobago are one step closer to achieving a place of worship.
It happened eight years after the Tobago Hindu Society (THS) got a donation of four lots of land from then Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Orville London to begin the construction of the first-ever Hindu mandir on the sister isle.
Now in 2022, that promise and dream came to life with a sod-turning ceremony at the site of construction at Old Government Farm, Signal Hill, on February 12.
AZPNews.com spoke to the president of the Tobago Hindu Society, Pulwaty Beepath and Pundit Ramdath Mahase, who gave us a brief history of this milestone.
Journey from Trinidad to Tobago…
The society was founded about 35 years ago by a group of Hindus from Trinidad who lived and worked in Tobago.
At that time, persons would gather to do pooja required a pundit from Trinidad to officiate.
The early founding members chose to celebrate Divali as a group, which included all associated activities.
They returned to Trinidad in 1987 and the society became dormant.
New vision
Around that time, Beepath and her husband, both practising Hindus, settled in Tobago for work and wanted to continue to practise their religion and culture.
However, there was no temple on the island which proved to be difficult as she knew the importance of traditions and values of Hinduism in everyday life.
This also led to difficulty in sourcing items for poojas which they get from Trinidad, even now.
Beepath said, “My father would teach us to sing and play the instruments as children and we grew up going to temple on Saturday or Sunday mornings in Chatham.”
A meeting with Winston Saunders, who was then attached to the Division of Community Development and Culture, encouraged the Beepath family to revive the Tobago Hindu Society.
They were given the responsibility to continue the work of the non-profit, religious organisation.
Later in 1992, Beepath became the new president of the Tobago Hindu Society and has continued to work tirelessly to promote the Hindu Dharma in Tobago, along with 20 plus members.
The society was officially registered with the Registrar General Office on July 16, 2010, which signalled the start of a journey.
Temple… Final piece of religious diversification
The island has more than 1,000 East Indian households with families who resided on the island, many of who travel back and forth due to work, she said.
Beepath said, “We have a Tobago Sai Centre where Hindus go to Sat Sang on Saturdays but not everybody goes to the Sai Centre, as some persons do their prayers at home.
“But for me, we keep meetings, prayers and other activities at my home.”
The organisation has since made significant strides to promote East Indian culture and traditions on the island.
“We also cater for 300 persons when we have our annual Divali and Indian Arrival Day celebrations.”
She added that the society continued to enlist the assistance of various artistes, performers and cultural experts from Trinidad to ensure the success of these events.
It was also the hope of the society that in the near future, some of the expertise would be sourced in Tobago.
Meanwhile, Pundit Mahase, who lived in Trinidad joined the group in 2013 and became its Spiritual Leader.
He helped the expansion of the festivals and ceremonies, such as the Hanuman Yatra which is usually observed in March or April and Ganesh Uttsaav which was observed in September.
Pundit Mahase said, “These two very religious observances have encouraged persons from Tobago and even from Trinidad to become even more aware of the work being done by the Tobago Hindu Society.”
The society’s vision statement, “To be a leading institution in Hinduism and Hindu culture and traditions in Tobago, and providing for the sustainability of the Hindu Dharma,” encapsulated the essence of the organisation’s foundations.
Beepath said that upon completion of the temple, it would be open to all persons, races and cultures who wish to seek solace with God.
She hoped the society’s functioning would educate Tobago on their food, culture and heritage, adding to the diverse heritage of the island and also promoting tourism.
Construction and aide
The Tobago Hindu Society has since received an estimate of $ 86,000 worth of materials from the National Commission of Self Help to start the construction.
She added that this was only the beginning and more assistance was on the way.
When we asked about the manpower to carry out the construction, Beepath said, there was not much in Tobago.
Beepath said, “The Pundit usually brings people from Trinidad, but we’re trying our best to get persons from the island to assist.”
She said the society had also spoken to THA officials, who promised to help them get electricity on the land and the road paved towards the location.
Beepath thanked persons in Trinidad and abroad who continue to assist with the donation of materials and in other ways to ensure the construction of the Temple.
“We can’t stop thanking the people of Tobago for accepting this new venture.”
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there were no large fundraisers, however, the business community and persons in Tobago continue to donate materials from different hardware stores.
She also extended special thanks to Indian High Commissioner Arun Kumar Sahu for their continuous assistance and support.
Beepath said the society had continuous support from the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), the Anglican community, the Baháʼí and Seven Days Adventist faith.
Pundit Mahase said, “Two years ago, we started clearing the land and excavation for the foundation as well. All the steel were bent and boxing tied but when Covid came, the Government stopped all construction work which halted us.
“But now we are ready to restart as we have the help of the people of Tobago. And we also lend support where we can.”
Outpouring of Joy for Tobago Hindu Community
Debbie Ramlochan, a devoted Hindu living in Tobago expressed elation on the news of the temple’s construction.
She said, “When we have prayers, we have to get a pundit from Trinidad and so do our pooja items which can be costly sometimes.”
Ramlochan added the new temple would bring more exposure for practising Hindus about their faith.
While Kenneth Bisson, an avid supporter of society, described the constriction as a great achievement.
Bisson said, “The society has come a long way and I believe it will add to the diversity of Tobago. It can also form part of the tourism product as Hindus can come here and get married etc.”
Kameal Ali, Director and Head of the Muslim Community, Masjid al Tawbah said the temple would give Hindus a place of solace within the pandemic to worship.
Ali added that all other religious bodies have their place of worship, so the completion of the temple would help Hindus find their place as well.
While Pundit Mahase said his joy and happiness to be part of the construction of the first Hindu Mandir in Tobago cannot be placed in words.
He said, “Knowing that the Lord has chosen us to lead this. We accepted the blessings that he gave and now we are working on it to completion.”
