ntre Co. Ltd. (ICC) 2019 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.

(ICC) 2019 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC) 2019 Indo-Carib

indocaribbeanpublications.com

Divali Festival in Trinidad and Tobago
by Dr. Kumar Mahabir
Trinidad and Tobago - the land of
Carnival, steelband, tassa, calypso
and chutney - is the same country
that produces a unique brand of
Divali to the world. In fact, the annual
Hindu Festival of Lights has become
Trinidad’s largest, national open-air
festival, second only to Carnival.
Divali is a welcome alternative to the
rambunctious indulgence in meat,
alcohol, party and “wine”. The celebra-
tion is arguably the largest vegetarian,
alcohol-free festival in the Caribbean,
if not the Western Hemisphere. Divali
is an event that the Ministry of Tourism
can market as a major attraction in the
fastest-growing, international market-
place of spiritual tourism.
Divali is one of the festivals which es-
tablishes Trinidad as a multi-religious,
multi-ethnic society. Hindus comprise
the second-largest religious group
(24%) after Roman Catholics in the
twin-island’s population of 1.3 million
people. While Divali is essentially a
Hindu festival, people of all faiths en-
thusiastically celebrate the triumph of
light over darkness, knowledge over
ignorance, and good over evil. The
non-Hindu supporters are attracted to
the festival’s universal message as well
as to the unique festivities which also
provide a clean environment for the
cultivation of a healthy body, mind
and soul.
Only in Trinidad do non-Hindus and
non-Indians actively participate in
lighting over ten million deyas an-
nually during Divali celebrations.
These tiny clay lamps are lit in homes,
yards, streets, offices, public parks
and playing fields. Perhaps only in
Trinidad, one can find split bamboo
The 2005 edition of the ICC magazine on the theme “Temples and
Tourism in Trinidad and Tobago” won an Excellence-in-Journalism Award
tubes transformed into magnificent
works of art on which the deyas are
set. The split bamboo strips reach out
toward neighbouring houses, streets
and communities to symbolise the
popular local mantra “all ah we is one.”
Celebrants are overwhelmed by the
desire to decorate their surroundings
and they take great pride in completing
their tasks. Indeed, Divali heralds the
joy of the end-of-year celebrations.
Multi-coloured and multi-patterned
streamers are made with kite paper and
plastic and strung from jhandi [flag]
poles. Brightly coloured fabric, bal-
loons and bulbs decorate homes, offices
and stages. Strings of twinkling lights
– clear and coloured – are strung high
on buildings, trees, and even across
streets. Effigies of Mother Lakshmi
are made from bamboo tubes and
large cardboard cut-outs. Calligraphy
on signs and banners glitters with
decorative paint. The starry designs
of deyas and bulbs transform simple
houses into magical kingdoms.
The nights are filled with free public
performances in parks and playing
fields. Divali provides the perfect
forum for showcasing the talent of both
foreign and local performers’ in Indian
song, music, dance and drama. Indeed,
no celebration is considered complete
without a fashion show that is always
eagerly anticipated by all.
Divali is also associated with Ram
Leela/Lila which is, perhaps, the oldest
living form of outdoor folk theatre in
the Caribbean. During Divali, tons of
sweetmeats like parsad, kurma, burfi,
pera, ladoo, jalebi, gulab jamoon and
kheer [sweet rice] are made and dis-
tributed free of charge.
ISSN 1683-4143
VOLUME 20, NUMBER 2
Publisher
Indo-Caribbean Cultural
Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC))
Editor-in-Chief & Chairman
Dr. Kumar Mahabir
Cover and page design
Preddie Partap
Photographers
Kumar Mahabir & Preddie Partap
Contributing editor,
writer & proof-reader
Jaya Lalita-devi
Consultants
Rajarshi Dāsa, Viśvarūpa Dāsa
Adhikari & Bala Krishna
Online research assistant
Pradyumna Dāsa
Promotions & marketing
Ramona Harripersad
Chief Financial Officer
Mera Heeralal
Indo-Caribbean Cultural
Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
Swami Avenue, Don Miguel Road,
San Juan, Trinidad & Tobago, Caribbean
Tel/fax: (868) 675-7707
WhatsApp: (868) 756-4961
E-mail: dmahabir@gmail.com,
indocaribbeanstaff@gmail.com
Web:indocaribbeanpublications.com
Copyright
© ICC 2019. All rights reserved. The
writing, artwork and/or photography
contained herein may be used or
reproduced ONLY with written permission
of the Chairman of ICC, or his agents.
Disclaimer
Although all efforts have been made
to ensure accuracy of the contents
of this publication, ICC cannot
accept responsibility for errors,
omissions or advice given. The
views expressed in this magazine
are not necessarily those of ICC.
 Message from the Minister of Community
Development, Culture and the Arts
Dr. the Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly

The Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre presents another valu-

able perspective on Indo-Caribbean culture through this
enlightening publication on the Hare Krishna Movement in
Trinidad and Tobago. The International Society for Krishna
Consciousness (ISKCON) possesses an effortless ability to
transcend ethnicity, gender and other social barriers, a phi-
losophy that mirrors Trinidad and Tobago’s own endeavour
to nurture and celebrate our plurality.

Since the first Hare Krishna temple was established in 1982

in Central Trinidad, the group continues to have an impactful
presence among Caribbean religions, especially throughout
the streets of Port of Spain where Ratha Yatra Chariot festivals

are frequently held. These celebrations have become a mainstay in the city’s cultural calendar
and are highly regarded by all who witness these majestic moments.

As Caribbean people, drums have been part of our religious expressions for centuries and have
earned a respected space across our collective cultural landscape. The chanting and sounds
of the mridanga drum evoke a pure, enthusiastic expression of love for Lord Krishna. This
is the unique expression of the Hare Krishna Movement, yet within this uniqueness, there is
a relatable experience for all of us. The sounds of the drum somehow connect each of us to
our individual ancestries, and this is one of the beautiful things about life in the Caribbean.

By way of this message, I express my appreciation to the Hare Krishna Movement for spread-
ing the message of peace and love whilst enriching the cultural experience here in Trinidad
and Tobago. These messages are especially pertinent around this time of the year when the
Hindu community observes Divali. This festival of light continues to enrapture citizens from
all walks of life and is one of the most keenly-anticipated festivals on Trinidad and Tobago’s
cultural calendar.

To the Hindu community, the Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre and the wider citizenry of
Trinidad and Tobago, may the lights of the deyas continue to illuminate your souls and
inspire positivity, compassion and peace. I also take this opportunity to commend the Center
for yet another sound, well-researched publication which adds to the wealth of knowledge
on Indo-Caribbean culture.
 HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA
6, Victoria Avenue
Port of Spain, Trinidad
Ph: 225-4340 - Fax: 225-4248
Email: hc.pospain@mea.gov.in
Website: www.hcipos.in

I am delighted to learn that the Indo-Caribbean

Cultural Centre is bringing out its annual Divali
souvenir magazine on the auspicious occasion of
Divali.

I take this opportunity to congratulate all members

for dedicating their time and energy to this valuable
publication.

Divali (or Deepavali, “the festival of lights”) is

celebrated worldwide to commemorate the triumph
of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, hope
over despair.

Diwali is a powerful metaphor for knowledge,

enlightenment and consciousness.

I take this opportunity to convey my best wishes to the people of Trinidad and
Tobago on this occasion.

Arun Kumar Sahu

The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago

Swami Prabhupada
introduced Lord Krishna to New York
In 1965 when he settled on the Lower East Side of New York City,
the place was a haven for hippies. They were experimenting with drugs
and illicit sex, and searching for fulfillment and salvation.
In 1965, at the age of 69, Swami You like with me. But I guess, You a preaching centre while chanting
Prabhupada sailed to the United States have some business here, otherwise [sankirtana], distributing books and
with a free passage on the freighter why would You bring me to this ter- delivering public lectures.
Jaladuta. His only possessions were a rible place? How will I make them
suitcase, an umbrella, a supply of dry understand this message of Krishna During the twelve years since his
cereals, and several boxes of books. He consciousness? I am very unfortunate, arrival in New York in 1965 up until
was practically penniless and spent a unqualified and most fallen. Therefore, his final days in 1977, he had in circled
year in great difficulty. I am seeking Your benediction so that I the globe 14 times on lecture tours that
can convince them, for I am powerless took him to six continents. Within a
Upon arrival in New York, he was to do so on my own.” decade, the Hare Krishna Movement
not met by followers of any religious grew into a worldwide confedera-
group. On this and other occasions, he In July 1966, nearly a year after his tion of almost 100 ashrams, schools,
called on Lord Krishna for help in his arrival in New York, he established temples, institutes and farm communi-
native Bengali: the International Society for Krishna ties. ISKCON then became one of the
Consciousness (ISKCON). A year fastest-growing spiritual movements
“I do not know why You have brought later, he travelled to San Francisco in the world.
me here. Now You can do whatever with his disciples where he founded

Prabhupada on a morning walk with Baron von Durkheim in Frankfurt - Christian Jansen

Divali Magazine 2019

6 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago
Women in the
Hare Krishna Movement
Unlike in many other religions and Hindu sects,
Hare Krishna women take the podium and preach from the scriptures.
In Vedic philosophy, “male” and
“female” are sexual differences as-
signed to body types. But it is the soul
that is important, although all souls are
“female” prakriti [primal]. Spiritually,
both sexes have equal opportunities
for spiritual advancement. Swami
Prabhupada himself taught dualism of
body and soul and that of the genders.
Hare Krishna women maintain the
altar at home and in the temple. They
also design, sew outfits for, and dress,
the deities whose clothes are changed
every morning and evening. The
women collect fresh flowers to make
garlands and bouquets for the deities
as well as for temple worship. They
also decorate the chariots used in the
processions following the Vedic cul-
tural tradition of the idyllic Vindravan
of the gopis [cowherd girls].
Divali Magazine 2019
8 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
They offer arati to the deities as one
of the many forms of serving Lord
Krishna. Women also cook for the
deities as well as for large festivals
such as the Sunday Feast. They sing
and chant kirtans as leaders as well
as chorus-followers in the temple and
at concerts such as those organised at
the Divali Nagar. They also perform
at birthdays and anniversaries. Hare
Krishna women also go out to distrib-
ute books in the streets and at other
events
Some Hare Krishna women live in
the temples, devoting every moment
of their life in a holy environment in
purity and without interruption in the
service of Lord Krishna. Some of them When asked if a woman could become
manage the temple store and teach the a temple president (Chicago, July 5,
children. Some of them are educated 1975), Prabhupada replied, “Yes,
in Sanskrit. why not?” Pancha Tattva-devi dasi
was president of the main temple in
Longdenville for six years.
The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago

Women in the
Hare Krishna Movement

Hare Krishna women perform the role as priests and
teachers (panditas and acharyas) by giving lectures
on the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam.
Swami Prabhupada also said that a
woman can become a spiritual master,
even to her husband. Prabhupada
recalled that Jahnava Devi was
Nityananda’s wife. She became an
initiating spiritual master who had
male disciples.
He asked, “In the material world, is
there any prohibition that a woman
cannot become a professor? If she is
qualified, she can become a professor.
What is the wrong there? She must
be qualified. That is the position. So
similarly, if the woman understands
Krishna consciousness perfectly, she
can become a guru.”
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has also said
that anyone who knows the science of
Krishna should be accepted as a spir-
itual master, regardless if that person is
poor, low-caste or a woman. Devoted
women serving the Lord should be
sincerely and seriously acknowledged,
appreciated and supported.
Prabhupada said, “These women are
not ordinary women. They are preach-
ers. They are Vaishnavas (March 27,
1974). He also said some men have
big egos; they feel that they should be
superior in everything. In some situa-
tions, women should be separate from
men, but they should have the same
opportunities, positions and rights to
serve the Lord.
The Divine Couple Radha-Krishna are
the male and female aspects of God
as well as the full manifestation of
God. Radharani is the tender-hearted
feminine counterpart of the supreme
whole. “The mercy of Radharani is
available very readily to the sincere
devotees, and once She recommends
such a devotee to Lord Krishna, the
Lord at once accepts the devotee’s ad-
mittance into His association” (Srila
Prabhupada, Bhagavatam 2.3.23
purport).

Divali Magazine 2019

10 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago

Worshipping idols?
by Jaya Lalita-devi dasi
Sometimes the deities that we worship in our ISKCON temples
are referred to as “idols” by those without a proper understanding.

An idol is defined in the dictionary as

an image or representation of God used
as an object of worship.

And certainly we agree that to imagine

a form of God and worship it - as the
Israelites worshiped the golden calf - is
not only a waste of time but disrespects
the Lord Himself.
So how can we understand deity
worship?
God is the Supreme Person, full in all
opulence. All the varieties of quali-
ties and characteristics that we possess
originate in Him in pure form. Those
characteristics - and, indeed, God’s
various forms (Krishna, Rama, etc.)
- are described in the Vedic scriptures
as the method for worshipping Him.
If we worship the authorised form of
God, then our worship will be accepted
by Him. A mundane example can help
us understand this. If you want to send
a letter to someone, you put it in a box
authorised by the Post Office and it
is delivered. If you use any random
box, it will not be effective, but the
authorised box will work.
Similarly, if we imagine a form of God
and worship whimsically, God will
not accept our worship. However, He
accepts worship done according to the
direction of the scriptures.
But how can God appear in wood or
stone?
Actually, everything is a manifestation
of God’s energy. If we put it to use
in God’s service, then the seemingly
material object becomes spiritual. If
God wishes to appear to us in the form
of His own energy – be it wood, stone,
paint (or sound vibration as in the case
of His holy names), who can say that
He cannot do so?
God takes the form of the deity in order
to accept our loving service and to
allow us to develop a personal relation-
ship with Him.

Divali Magazine 2019

12 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
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The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago

Deity worship
by Jaya Lalita-devi dasi
This worship is performed 7 times a day, 7 days a week,
52 weeks a year, and has been going on at the Longdenville
temple since 1982, for 37 continuous years.

A day of worship in an ISKCON temple,
such as the one in Longdenville, typi-
cally begins at 4 a.m. when the deity
forms of Lord Krishna in His various
manifestations are awakened with a
softly rung bell and Sanskrit mantras.
After being offered a snack of milk-
sweets such as burfi and sandesh, the
Lord receives His first arati of the day
known as mangala (auspicious) arati.
The pujari [priest] offers incense, a
ghee lamp, scented water, a cloth,
flowers, a chamara [yak-tail fan] and
a peacock fan while devotees serenade
the Lord with kirtan.
The Lord is then bathed and dressed in
an opulent suit of clothes and adorned
with jewelry, flower garlands, sandal-
wood paste and tulasi leaves. Next
follows an offering of fruit and a
smaller “dhupa” arati (incense, flowers
and chamara).
The day continues with five more offer-
ings of food (known as “bhoga”) and
aratis - seven in total, the largest food
offering being the “raj-bhoga” (king of
food offerings) at midday.
At night, the deities are changed into
a simpler night outfit, offered hot milk
and requested by mantras to take a
rest. festival days such as Krishna
Janmastami, extra food preparations
are offered, more flowers to decorate
the Lord and His altar, and new outfits
are made. The Lord is publically bathed
in an “abhisheka” ceremony with
auspicious substances such as milk,
yogurt, ghee and rose water or show-
ered with flower petals in a “pushpa
abhisheka”.
On each day at each ceremony, there
is kirtan because in Kali Yuga, no
worship is complete unless accompa-
nied by the Yuga Dharma, harinama
sankirtana – the congregational chant-
ing of the holy names of God.
At ISKCON temples, the deity is wor-
shipped with great care and devotion
because we understand that it is not
merely a representation of God but
that it is God Himself.

Divali Magazine 2019

14 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago

The Ratha Yatra

[The Chariot Festival]
It is a replica of an ancient chariot festival which
has been observed in Jagannath Puri on the east coast
of Orissa in India for more than 5000 years ago.

The Ratha Yatra is a chariot procession Devotees sweep the road with a broom and his siblings, and a cultural program
in which the Lord of the Universe, ahead of the chariot as a cleansing takes place. The festival finally ends
Lord Jagannath, ritual. with a free vegetarian feast.

his elder brother, Lord Baladev, and
sister, Subhadra Devi, are paraded
through the streets on an auspicious
day to bestow mercy upon all those
who see them. Represented with large
eyes and rugged features, Jagannatha
is another form of Lord Krishna in his
ecstatic state.
The deities travel on beautifully deco-
rated chariots, sometimes 30 feet [9
meters] high. Everyone is invited to
join the grand procession by pulling
the ropes which draw the cart.
Throughout the procession devotees
sing the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra,
play cymbals, beat drums and dance
gleefully. One devotee sits atop the
canopied chariot and gently fans the
deities. Some members of the public
bow down in reverence and offer gifts
of fruits, flowers and sweets to this
divine emperor who has descended
on earth.
At the end of the journey, people
garland the deities, make offerings and
perform arati [light] to Lord Jagannath
Ratha Yatra chariot festivals are held in
towns and cities all over the world, in-
cluding London, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo,
San Francisco, Los Angeles, and on
New York’s prestigious Fifth Avenue.
In Trinidad, it began 28 years ago in
1991. At this year’s Ratha Yatra in Port
of Spain in April, Baladeva Dasa was
the co-ordinator. It was the tenth suc-
cessive parade in the capital. The first
to be held in Tobago was in 2017 and
the third on September 14th this year.

Divali Magazine 2019

16 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
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The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago

Dancing for Lord Krishna

by Jaya Lalita-devi dasi
Are we “catching power”? some people wonder. Either that
or we must be intoxicated, surely! But, no, we are just happy.

Recently I was asked why Hare Krishna

devotees dance so exuberantly. I pon-
dered this for a while and concluded
that there are two main reasons.

To explain the first reason, I should

first describe the principle of “yukta
vairagya”. Yukta vairagya means “real
renunciation”, or using everything
in the service of Krishna. In reality,
nothing in this world belongs to us –
not even our own body, for at the time
of death, we must give up even that.
Everything truly belongs to its creator,
the Supreme Lord.
A fundamental aspect of a religious
life involves renouncing materialism.
Yet, if we don’t actually own anything,
what can we renounce? What we can
do, however, is use everything in our
possession to serve God. This is yukta
vairagya – real renunciation. It is im-
possible to stop the senses from acting,
but we can purify them by engaging
them in the service of God.
Thus, we can use our voices and our
ears to chant and hear God’s glories,
our hands to clean His temple, etc. In
kirtan, we can use our bodies to dance
for His pleasure. And when we take
our entire being and offer it to Krishna,
He is pleased by our efforts, our hearts
are cleansed of material contamination
and we become blissful. This is the
perfection of life.
Which brings me to the second reason
that we dance the way we do. Some
people think we dance rather wildly
in kirtan. Are we “catching power”?
they wonder. Either that or we must be
intoxicated, surely! But, no, we are just
happy. Our dancing is an expression
of our spontaneous joy from chanting
the names of God.
If you care to join us, you might just
experience this for yourself.

Divali Magazine 2019

18 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago
Janma-ashtami,
The birthday of Lord Krishna
Just like infant Moses in the Bible, baby Krishna
was taken to a river to escape an evil king who vowed
to kill all new-born boys.
Janmashtami (also called Krishna
Jayanti) celebrates the birthday of
Lord Krishna, the son of Devaki and
Vasudeva in Mathura in India 3228
BCE. His foster parents were Nanda
and Yashoda in Gokul.
Janmashtami is the largest festival for
Hare Krishna devotees because it is
believed to be the earthly appearance
of God Himself. The annual celebra-
tion takes place during the month of
Shrawana in the Hindu almanac which
overlaps with August and September
in the Gregorian calendar. Festivities
begin before dawn, extend all day, and
end at midnight when Lord Krishna is
believed to have appeared as a baby
on earth.
Divali Magazine 2019
20 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
On the temple’s colourful altar, the
sacred figurines of Lord Krishna and
Radha are bathed with a variety of
sacred liquids such as milk, yogurt,
honey, ghee, coconut water and fruit
juices. It is a kind of ablution ritual
called abhisheka. The deities are then
clothed, creatively festooned and deco-
rated with flower garlands and peacock
feathers as well as turbans. This ritual
takes about two hours and is performed
with great pomp during chanting,
singing, dancing and music-making.
Babies and children are also dressed
as Lord Krishna and his cowherd gopi
friends. A cradle with a murti [statue]
of baby Krishna is rocked gently. The
temple itself is decorated with lights,
garlands, balloons and festoons of
leaves and flowers. Fragrant incense
is in the air.
In keeping with the Vaishnava tradi-
tion, a free, vegetarian feast is distrib-
uted but most devotees fast from food
until midnight or eat only light foods
until that auspicious time.
In other parts of Trinidad, the dance-dra-
ma of Krishna-Leela is staged as well
as the game of the human pyramid with
the pot of dahee [yogurt] strung on a
pole-bar as the prize.
The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago
Hare Krishna Prasadam,
Food from, and for, the Gods
Almost everybody who queues up for Hare Krishna
food says that it is hot, tasty, nutritious and sumptuous.
Hare Krishna meals are served hot
and fresh. Kitchree - a mixture of
rice, beans and vegetables - is some-
times served with cake as a desert. The
drinks are juice or yogurt. It is left to
those who are being served to offer a
donation.
The chefs and cooks would tell you:
“We sanctify the food by first offering
it to God in a special sacrament. Then
it becomes spiritualised food called
prasadam, which means the mercy of
the Lord. We believe that prasadam
helps you physically by satisfying your
hunger with something nutritious, but
it also brings you spiritual benefit.”
Prasadam satisfies the stomach and
soul; when consumed, it leads to
Divali Magazine 2019
22 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
enlightenment and spiritual purifica-
tion. It purifies the individual of sin
that has been committed knowingly
or unknowingly.
Hare Krishna devotees say that the
food is prepared, cooked and served
with love. The cooks use fresh in-
gredients and often serve food using
environmentally-friendly plates, cups
and utensils.
Compared to eating, the benefits of
preparing, cooking and distributing
the sanctified food are multiplied
hundreds of times. The act of sharing
and serving is a form of charity. In
Vedic culture, it is very auspicious and
it is a blessing to serve prasadam to
others. In fact, Bhagavad Gita says
that no Vedic ceremony is considered
complete without the distribution of
prasadam (BG 17.13).
The feast held every Sunday at all
temples in Trinidad and throughout
the world is sensual and celebratory.
It begins with an inspiring lecture on
the Bhagavad Gita, joyful kirtana
[congregational chanting, singing
and dancing], a traditional Vedic arati
[light] ritual, and ends with a sumptu-
ous, vegetarian feast. The open-house
Sunday feast also provides an opportu-
nity for devotees and visitors to meet,
dine and speak about the Hare Krishna
movement.
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The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago
Hare Krishna
Food for Life [FFL]
Swami Prabhupada said: “No one within ten
miles of a temple should go hungry.” Then the
distribution of free, sanctified, plant-based meals
to the needy began.
The Hare Krishna Food-for-Life [FFL]
distributes free meals that are produced
solely from vegan and lacto-vegetarian
ingredients.
Food for Life is the largest vegetarian,
non-profit, food relief project in the
world, spanning over 60 countries pro-
viding up to 2,000,000 free meals every
day. It has even surpassed the United
Nations World Food Programme. The
free food programme has been praised
by The New York Times as well as by
Paul McCartney and Nelson Mandela.
The Food for Life project is a revival
of the ancient Vedic culture of hos-
pitality with its belief in the equality
of all beings. It was conceived and
begun by Swami Prahbupada and
the International Society for Krishna
Divali Magazine 2019
24 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
Consciousness (ISKCON) in 1974 in
New York.
Prahbupada was able to inspire
ISKCON members and volunteers
to provide free food to the needy.
Eventually, they expanded the project
into a global network of kitchens,
cafes, vans, and mobile services. The
FFL programme reaches out to anyone
hungry as well as those in need, in-
cluding the homeless, disadvantaged
children in India, and victims of natural
disasters throughout the world. Meals
are also served to school children and
university students. In total, Food for
Life has distributed more than 5 billion
meals since its inception.
In Trinidad and Tobago, the Hare
Krishna Movement has been serving
free food at its temples: 500 meals
weekly and 7500 at large public pro-
grams annually. Free meals have also
been distributed to JC Mc Donald
Home for the Aged, St. Vincent de Paul
Home for the Aged, Court Shamrock
Shelter for the Socially Displaced,
Mother Theresa Orphanage, St. Dorcas
Home for the Aged, La Brea Home for
the Aged, Living Water Community as
well as at the annual Kartik festival in
Manzanilla and to homeless persons in
Port of Spain, San Fernando and some
towns in Trinidad.
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The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago

ISKCON’s two scriptures

are the two great books of India

The Hare Krishna Movement uses two books as its main

scriptures: The Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana.
The Gita [lit. “The Song of God”), is
a 700-verse poem written in Sanskrit
that is part of the Hindu epic, the
Mahabharata (chapters 23–40). It is
written in the form of shlokas [cou-
plets], each having two quarter verses
with exactly eight syllables.
The work is also known as the Isvara
Gita, the Ananta Gita, the Hari Gita,
the Vyasa Gita, or simply the Gita. It
is attributed to sage Vyasa whose full
name was Krishna Dvaipayana, also
called Veda-Vyasa.
The Gita is set in a narrative framework
of a dialogue between the Pandava
prince, Arjuna, and his guide and chari-
oteer, Krishna. Arjuna is filled with
moral dilemma and despair about the
violence and death the war will cause.
The setting of The Gita in a battlefield
has been interpreted as an allegory for
the ethical and moral struggles of the
human life.
Theories on the date of the compo-
sition of the Gita vary considerably.
However, most scholars believe that
it was composed about 200 BCE. The
translation and commentary by A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada -
Bhagavad-gita: As It Is – is considered
the gold standard, endorsed by many
Vedic scholars to be one of the finest
literary works of Vaishnavism trans-
lated into English.
The Bhagavata Purana, also known
as Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa,
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam or Bhāgavata, is
one of Hinduism's 18 great Puranas
(Mahapuranas, great histories). The
collection discusses a wide range
of topics, including Cosmology,
Genealogy, Geography, Mythology,
Legend, Music, Dance, Yoga and
Culture.
Composed in Sanskrit, it promotes
bhakti [devotion] to Krishna. The
text consists of 12 books (skandhas)
totalling 332 chapters (adhyayas) and
between 16,000 and 18,000 verses,
depending on the recension. The date
of composition is probably about 10th
century AD.
Adapted from Wikipedia
and Other Sources.

Divali Magazine 2019

26 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
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The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago

Becoming a convert
by Jaya Lalita-devi dasi
I thought it would be interesting. I didn’t know anything about Hare
Krishna or eating vegetarian food. It would be a new experience.

In 1980, at 18 years old, I was living in
London (UK), had just finished my A’
Levels and had taken a gap year before
going to university. I was going to a
CND rally with a friend one weekend
and she invited me to go with her af-
terwards to a free Hare Krishna Sunday
feast.
I was brought up a Catholic, but felt
that my religion did not provide satis-
factory answers to my questions. Why
were we made to suffer in this world?
And if we did not “get it right”, why
did our loving father, God, send us to
Hell eternally? Over time, I became
an atheist.
I went to the temple that Sunday and
experienced kirtan [congregational
singing of God’s names]. I listened
to the lecture about karma and re-
incarnation, and thought to myself,
this is the first time in my life I am
hearing something that makes sense.
The speaker encouraged us to chant
the Hare Krishna mantra.
He said, “If you chant for five minutes
every day, I guarantee you that in a
month, your life will change.” So I
thought, I have nothing to lose. Let
me try.
I went back the next day. Somebody
had said that we could come and do
service (although I had no idea what
service was). Oh, very nice … They
gave us floors to scrub. From then on,
I just kept going back.
After about four months, I decided to
move into the temple. I forgot about
university. I decided this is what I want
to do with my life.
In 1984, I moved to Puerto Rico for
about 3 years, then to Trinidad to the
temple we had in Mohess Road, Penal.
I helped with the gurukula [school]
there, eventually got married, and
started a family. I have been in Trinidad
32 years now.
Edited transcript of an interview
with Jaya Lalita-devi dasi, 57 years,
videotaped in September 1, 2019.

Divali Magazine 2019

28 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago

Presidents, pioneers
and pathfinders
“In the rainy season and whenever rain fell, there was no dry place to sleep in
the basement. We took our sleeping bags into the garage or the gallery. When
the rain stopped, we slept under the mango tree.”

(l to r): Gopati Dasa, Vrajendra Kumar Dasa,

Devendranuja Dasa,Tadakaha Dasa, Bhakta “Blues
Bala Krishna Dasa
Dasa and Vrajranatha Dasa. Photo: 1977/78.

A Hispanic-American, Chitsukhananda was ISKCON’s Regional Secretary for

Dasa, became the first president of the Guyana for 30 years, and also visited
first Hare Krishna temple in Maracas, and preached in Grenada, St. Lucia,
St. Joseph, in 1970. He was followed Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana
by Siddhajana Dasa and Suriname frequently.

The presidents of the main temple in
St. Augustine and then Longdenville
were Afro-Trinidadian Tarksya Dasa
(1976- 1986), Krishna Sarana Dasa
(1987-1988), Bala Krishna Dasa
(1989-1990), Krishna Sarana Dasa
(1990-1992), Rajarsi Dasa (1992-
1994), Visvarupa Dasa (1994-1998)
as well as Mahananda Dasa, Chakri
Dasa, Panca Tattva Devi Dasi, Gopta
Dasa, Agnideva Dasa (Prabhupada’s
direct disciple), and Panca Tattva Devi
Dasi again.
Gopta Dasa is now the president.
Ganapati Dasa is the president of the
Arouca temple, Krishna Kripa Dasa of
the Debe temple, and Mahananda Dasa
of the Cumuto temple. Rajarsi Dasa
Some of the pioneer visiting North
American Hare Krishna missionar-
ies in Trinidad were Chitsukhananda
Dasa, Mahavir Dasa, Jagajivan Dasa,
Gajahanta Dasa and Anuttama Dasa.
The GBC representatives for ISKCON
in Trinidad included Satsvarupa
Dasa Goswami, Adi Kesava Dasa,
Hridayananda Goswami, Agrani Dasa,
and now, Guru Prasad Swami. The
GBC (Governing Body Commission)
was established to oversee the activi-
ties of international chapters.
The first group of local initiated dev-
otees included Tasksya, Siddhajana,
Pitamvara and Vasuki. The pioneer
Hare Krishna missionaries had the
most difficult experiences in every
Baladev Dasa
way. At the first temple in St Augustine,
for example, women would sleep up-
stairs and men downstairs.
When rain fell, the ground floor
flooded. In an edited videotaped in-
terview with Bala Krishna Dasa on
October 1, 2019, he said: “It was harsh
for somebody coming from a home
with a warm, soft, comfortable bed,
you know. I was young. My mother
visited me at the temple many times
and cried for me to return home.”

Divali Magazine 2019

30 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago
The early sponsors of the
Hare Krishna Movement in Trinidad
Ramcharitar corresponded with Prabhupada who asked him to make
arrangements for him (Swami) to come to Trinidad to begin his mission of
spreading Krishna Consciousness in the West.
Perhaps the first Trinidadian to meet
Swami Prabhupada was Ramcharitar
Rickhi at the Radha Damodar temple
in Vindravan in India in 1963/64.
Ramcharitar bought some books from
him to take to Trinidad.
The National Petroleum (NP) gas
distributor, Omardath Maharajh of
Bhagowtie Trace in San Juan, was
among the first financiers of the
Movement. So, too, were contrac-
tor Ramdharry Garibdass and Jang
Bahadursingh Singh of Westmoorings
and the Seereeram Brothers. Laloobhai,
a Gujarati businessman, donated the
marble Radha Krishna deities to the
Longdenville temple.
Before he died in 1985, Ram Kirpalani,
who owned a chain of “Kirpalani”
stores all over the country,
Divali Magazine 2019
32 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
contributed significantly to the devel-
opment of this ISKCON chapter. One
of his contributions was a Land Rover
jeep.
The darkest moment in the Movement
was from 1987 to 1993 when the
Longdenville temple struggled to pay
off loans and mortgages taken from
various banks. Most of these were re-
solved in one way or the other except
the largest loan from the National
Commercial Bank (NCB). In 1992,
NCB threatened foreclosure on the
temple. Rajarsi Dasa then took over the
presidency of the temple from Krishna
Sarana Dasa to manage the financial
crisis.
Devotees sold prasadama [sacred
food] and books and did harinam
kirtan [congregational chanting]
as part of a campaign to “Save the
Temple.” They solicited donations
all over Trinidad while Guru Prasad
Swami, the current GBC (Governing
Body Commissioner), sought help
worldwide. Despite their best efforts,
though, time was running out to meet
the bank’s deadline.
Then Ramnarine Ramdass from
Chaguanas appeared as a divine
saviour. He was an ISKCON Life
Member, an established accountant,
and a senior and respected member of
the Sai Baba Organisation and Lion’s
Club. On the devotees’ behalf, he
approached the bank and brokered a
mutually-satisfactory settlement.
The devotees worked tirelessly for
months to fulfil the new agreement.
And so the temple was saved from
being sold. Hare Krishna! What a
liberation.
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The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago
Hare Krishna temples
in Trinidad, past and present
In 1971, Prabhupada wrote to Trinidad: “Just as soon as you have secured a nice
temple and have organized a nice program, I will be glad to come and visit there.”
Longdenville temple
Cumuto farm and temple
When Prabupada arrived in New York
in 1965, his mission was to establish
Hare Krishna (ISKCON) centres,
temples and farm communities all over
the world. Three years later in 1968, he
sent a few of his disciples to Trinidad
to help fulfil his mission.
They stayed temporarily at various
houses and Sanatanists temples such
as the Mandir in Ethel Street in St
James as well as the houses owned
by Pandit Teeluckdharry in Arouca,
Bhadase Sagan Maraj near the former
Drive-In in Curepe, and Hari Deva in
21 Pembroke Street, Port of Spain.
They also rented houses at Bates
Trace in St Augustine, Kampo Village
in Cunupia, and at Maracas in St
Joseph. The first full-fledged temple
Divali Magazine 2019
34 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
Debe temple
Arouca temple
was established in Trinidad in 1976 at
the corner of Gordon Street and Santa
Margarita Circular in St Augustine.
In 1971, Mother Indira Devi Dasi’s
house at 258 Christian Drive, Plaisance
Park in Pointe-a-Pierre, served as one
of the few residences used by a first
group of visiting American devotees.
Vaikunthanatha, his wife, Saradia,
and another couple, were staying at
that address. It was listed in a Back to
Godhead magazine as the first official
ISKCON centre in the country.
Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha Mandir in
Longdenville is the ISKCON organisa-
tion’s headquarters in Trinidad.
It was designed by a devotee, Mario
Fuller, and opened in 1982.
A temple was established in a rented
property in Mohess Road, Penal, in
1986, and its gurukool [school] was
run by Krishna-devi Dasi Jaya Lalita-
devi Dasi. The temple was moved to
Orion Drive, Debe, in 1989. It became
the Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra Mandir
and was built on donated land that had
previously been a Krishna-leela open-
air theatre site.
In 1999, the Madhuvan farm and
temple were established in Coryal
Village in Cumuto. Mahananda Dasa
led the construction and the cows at
Longdenville were transferred there.
In 2001, Bala Krishna spear-headed the
construction of the Sri Sri Gaura Nitai
preaching centre in Garden village,
Arouca.
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The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago
Indira Devi Dasi,
Mother of the Krishnas in Trinidad
People were amazed that white Americans were preaching
from the Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit and English.
My husband’s name was Balliram
Narinesingh. We lived in Plaisance
Park in Point-a-Pierre and attended
the Krishna Mandir in Todd Street in
San Fernando.
In 1971 or so, my husband saw two
visiting Hare Krishna couples in the
newspapers who were staying in the
St. James’ temple. We decided to visit
them. They said that they were veg-
etarians and that Lord Krishna is the
Supreme God.
We invited them to talk at the Todd
Street mandir. That Saturday, the
mandir was jam-packed. After their
enlightening discourse, we took them
home where we gave them the chil-
dren’s two bedrooms and our children
slept on the floor in the living room.
The devotees stayed with us for a few
Divali Magazine 2019
36 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
months, going out on their own every
day to preach.
When they left, another white devotee
came, named Chitsukhananda Dasa
[sent by Swami Prabhupada himself].
He would go out every day alone to
preach. He was a successful mission-
ary who met the first group of local
devotees [mainly Afro-Trinidadians:
Harideva, Pradyumna, Vasuki,
Tadakaha, Tarkyshya, Kirtanya and
Krishna Sharana].
Tarkyshya was the president of a
preaching centre in Maracas Valley
in St. Joseph. Then the local devo-
tees moved to Arouca, and then to
St. Augustine. My husband helped
finance the rent in all these places.
When my husband died, I was initi-
ated in the Movement by His Holiness
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. He was the
Governing Body Commissioner (GBC)
representative for Trinidad.
I live in the Longdenville temple
serving the Lord in all kinds of ways
and have written a few small books
on the history of the Hare Krishna
Movement in Trinidad.
Sastsvarupa Dasa Goswami had invited
me to America. There I became the
first woman in Brooklyn Hare Krishna
Temple to perform ariti [light ritual]
on the altar as a poojari [priest].
Edited transcript of an interview
with Mother Indira, 81 yrs,
videotaped in August 19, 2018.
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The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago

Rajarshi Das,
ISKCON pathfinder in Trinidad
I started living in the temple at age of 17, preaching from
house to house, distributing books, and living on charity in the mercy
of the Lord. From then to now, for 41 years, I have not stopped.

I was born in Boodoo Trace in
Debe. I attended Debe Presbyterian
School and Penal Junior Secondary
and then Siparia Secondary. At
Debe Presbyterian, I was exposed to
Christianity but I had questions about
who is the Father of Jesus.
When I was a teenager, someone
gave me a Bhagavad Gita. I read it
and it had an impact on me. Then one
Friday evening in September 1978, I
was going home from school and met
a kind of Hispanic guy on the street
distributing copies of the Bhagavad
Gita, so I spoke to him. He was a visit-
ing Hare Krishna devotee who was a
direct disciple of the Founder-Acharya,
Swami Prabhupada.
He was staying at the ashram [temple]
at the corner of Gordon Street and
Santa Margarita Circular Road in St
Augustine. We spoke and then, on
another day, he came home to visit
me and my parents in Boodoo Trace.
My parents allowed me to visit the
ashram for a weekend. The experience
was interesting. Most of the devotees
were Africans.
I saw a film on the Hare Krishna
farming community in West Virginia
in the USA with devotees chanting
and cows roaming around. It was an
amazing scene, out of this world. I
decided to abandon school and become
a bramachari [celibate missionary] in
the temple. As expected, my parents
objected at first, but they eventually
allowed me to live in the ashram.
I went back home after a few months.
My father was a regular reader of
the Ramayana, so we communicated
with ease. I invited him to the ashram.
He began attending the Sunday pro-
gramme. Then he did something
radical; he left home to stay in the
ashram.
When the Longdenville temple was
opened in 1982, we moved in together.
He died there in 1992, having spent 14
years living in both temples.
Edited transcript of an interview
with Rajarshi Das, 59 years,
videotaped in August 2, 2018.

Divali Magazine 2019

38 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
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The Hare Krishna Religious Movement in Trinidad and Tobago
Attitude to devotees
by Viśvarūpa Dāsa Adhikari
In 17 years’ time - by 1985 - we had
distributed more than one million books, almost
more than the population of the entire country.
The Hare Krishna Movement began
about 1968 in Trinidad. The temple
president at the time, Tarkshya Das,
had a drive to distribute Swami
Prabhupada’s books.
We walked from house to house,
village to village, street to street. We
walked miles across this country in
sun and rain. We received a mixture of
reactions. We were embraced, deified
and glorified as well as abused, cursed
and chased.
In Barrackpore, a Hindu convert struck
me with a plank on my left leg. I fell
and had to drag on my butt to avoid
more blows. He burst my Tulasi neck
Divali Magazine 2019
40 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd.
beads and ripped off my dhoti [loin
cloth]. The villagers had to save me.
In another place, a man threw my
books on the ground. Another time,
a man chased me with a cutlass. In
Bamboo, a group of men were drink-
ing under a house. They snatched my
books, locked the door and told me
they would not release me until I an-
swered all of their questions. I was
scared and traumatised. About half
an hour later, a passer-by came and
escorted me safely out of danger.
One day while walking and chanting
on the street in Munroe Road, a man
probably felt we were disturbing their
Friday prayers. He accosted me with a
gun and pointed it straight at my face.
Other members of the congregation
rushed out to hold him back and talk
to him and pacify him.
We went through a lot of tough times.
We were simply propagating Sanatan
Dharma, the eternal religion. A leader
of that faith abused us by saying that
we were distributing dharma in the
street as if it were garbage. A pandit in
Aranguez drove us like a dog from his
driveway. He said he was not interested
in what we were doing, that we were
making a mockery of Hinduism.
Edited transcript of an
interview with Viśvarūpa Dāsa
Adhikari, 57 years, videotaped
in September 1, 2019.
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