Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 7

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 132

Hinduism in Trinidad
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Some Hindu priests also opposed day wedding. Ramyatna pandit refused to sit in a panchayat organised by Sahdeo pandit on this issue. The former was right in asserting that the Hindu wedding could be held in the night or day according to the proper conjunction of stars (auspicious lagna or muhurta)84. Some others, however, thought otherwise. 85
Another problem was the cremation of the dead bodies of the Hindus. Even when the Hindu dead bodies were buried as the Trinidad law did not permit cremation, the Hindus like the Muslims and the Christians had separate burial grounds in the cemeteries in the Indian areas. But since the Hindus in India preferred cremations Parashuram Sharma and Goberdhan Pandit represented to the Trinidad governor in August 1938 that the pyre system of cremation should be introduced here.36
Much later the cremation system was introduced. But at present it is largely confined to the rich people. In the funerals large number of people, preferably in a black dress, participate. The conch and gharighanta are sounded, the Garud Purana and the Ramayan are read by the pandit and a bhandara (feast) is arranged. A special type of priest called 'Kantaha' is also engaged. However, the creole influence can be seen in the 'wake' in which the relatives and friends keep awake at night in the memory of the dead.
The customary inhibition regarding keeping away from the lower caste people, not taking the cooked food with them, was given up by the high Hindus. But an attitude of a derision towards the 'chamar (actually a cobbler but in Trinidad any untouchable) was maintained. Some pandits did not want to eat with the Muslims and Christians. Thus in April 1922 when a delegation from India was given a reception at Couva Permanand pandit, the President of the East Indian National Congress of Trinidad and V. N. Tiwary, the Secretary of the Indian government sponsored group, were at the head of the “Hindoo table", while Roop Meah sat at the head of the “Mohammadan table"87 and Baboolal Singh catered to the Hindu guests.
The Hindu families have their puja at home on special occasions and they put up small flags (Jhandis) of special colours in a bamboo pole in front of their house. A red flag is hung in honour of the monkey
34. Ramyatna to Goberdhan, 14 Feb. 1936, Goberdban Papers. 35. POS Gagette, 15 Oct. 1939. 36. P. Sharma to G. Pandit, 25 Oct. 1938, Goberdhan Papers. 37. Trinidad Guardian, 14 April 1922, p. 5,
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