Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 7

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

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Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin No. 7
faced God Hanuman (
Mahavira), a yellow one in honour of Goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth), and sometimes Durga or Krishna. A white flag is hung in honour of Satyanarayan (Satyadeo), the god of truth. His puja is the most popular in-Trinidad. As in Bihar (North east India) the story of this god and the girl Leelavati who was ultimately blessed by the lord, is told.88
A puja is an individual affair in which the hymns from religous texts are chanted. It may be a community affair in a temple or a pandal (marquee), associated with the reading of the Bhagawat or Shiva Purana in Sanskrit with the commentary in Hindi and English. The god Hanuman is worshipped to ward off some danger and his special puja is called 'Hanuman Rota'. Thn Hanuman-chalisa is also read to prevent the ghosts and spirits from harassing somebody. For good education Goddess Saraswati is worshipped and the Sun god is appeased for prevent, ing the eye and other diseases. The puja of Kali involves goat sacrifice and is confined to a small section of Hindus. 89
The Hindus of Trinidad observe religious festivals throughout the year.40 In some areas the Durga Puja (dashahara) is observed for ten days in the second half of Ashwin around October. But in most parts of the island, as in U. P. (India), it is celebrated as Lord Rama's victory over the demon Rawan. Selected portions of the Ramayan are read loudly and the scenes are enacted.41 The first Ramaleela was organised in 1890 by a priest Rajnath Kanwar Maharaj in central Trinidad. 42 In 1895 one Goberdhan as Ram hit one of the eyes of the person who was enacting the role of Dasharath.43 On 15 October 1898 the Hindustani Kohinoor Akhbar mentioned that two Indian villages of Trinidad organised the Ramaleela. In October 1901 the Indians of Chaguanas had a grand Ramaleela show in which drums, dances and magic added to the grandeur. In 1913 and 1916 Capildeo pandit arranged the show in Woodford square, Port of Spain and Lal Mathura pandit, Bhagan Maharaj and Rishi Maharaj played the main roles. In 1916 a sadhu
38. J. C. Jha, "The Indian Heritage. ...", op. cit., p. 9.
. S. S. morton (ed.), John Morton of Trinidad, Toronto, 1916, p. 23. ). Arthur and Juanita Niehoff, East Indians in the West Indies,
Milwaukee, 1960, p 123. 41. Morton Klass, East Indians in Trinidad, New York-London, 1961,
p. 159. 42. POS Gazette, 10 Oct. 1901, p. 6. 43. J. C. Jha “The Tradition of Ramaleela in Trinidad,” Navaneet
(Readers Digest in Hindi) Bombay, Jan. 1979, p. 29,