CARIBBEAN CELEBRATIONS

A Million Little Li
TX

Divali in Tri

by Devi Sharp

 
 
   
    
   
 
 
    

small village of Felicity

twinkled with hundreds of tiny
fires burning in small clay pots.
Mouthwatering smells of curry wafted from kitch-
ens and Indian music drifted from houses as people
walked through the streets admiring the lights and chatting with
families who were sitting outside their houses in this traditional East
Indian village in western Trinidad.

For several years my husband, Hunter, and I have heard rave reviews from other
cruisers of their visits to an East Indian village during the Divali festival. This year we
were in Trinidad at the right time, so on October 17th we joined a group of fellow
cruisers on a trip organized by Jesse James of Members Only taxi service. We were
welcomed to the Hindu temple by a priest in a long robe and instructed to remove our
shoes before entering the temple. Inside we were free to look at the altar and take
photos. At first I was a bit uncomfortable taking photos inside a temple, but we were
encouraged to use our cameras. The altar was ringed by statues called murti, sacred
images of deities that provide a point of devotional and meditational focus. The priest
welcomed us and told us about the murti and some of the traditions associated with

  

   
 

‘A small but
energetic
band of Tassa
drummers

played for us’

 

Divali. We were spellbound by the graceful young woman in traditional garb who
danced to Indian music. I am sure some eyes were glued to her bare muscular midriff,
but clearly her hands and body told a story. A small but energetic band of Tassa
drummers played for us. These traditional Indo-Caribbean drums are hung around
the neck. We were told that the two drummers and one cymbal player were a much-
abbreviated version of their band.

Divali (sometimes spelled Diwali) is a Hindu festival that symbolizes the lifting of
spiritual darkness and spiritual and social renewal. The actual date varies from year
to year, and is keyed to the day of the new moon in October. The word Divali means
an array of lamps (deep: lamp; vali: array) and is celebrated by Hindus around the
world with the lighting of the small clay pots, called diyas, which contain oil and a
cotton wick that is lit. Although Divali is a Hindu festival, in Trinidad’s multicul-
tural and multi-religious society, it is a national holiday observed by people of all
denominations. East Indians represent 44 percent of the total population of Trinidad
and of that group 24 percent are Hindus, but everyone gets a day off work and many

   

‘We were spellbound by the graceful young woman who danced to Indian music’

people dress in traditional Indian garb and light diyas at work or around their table
in the days leading up to Divali.

The actual celebration of Divali lasts for five days. The climax is the lighting of the
diyas after sundown on the last day. Diyas are lit by the thousands in yards, open
spaces, staircases, roundabouts and porches. They are usually placed on bamboo
stalks bent into fantastic shapes and designs.

If you have ever taken a trip with Jesse you know there will be food, good food,
and plenty of it. We reclaimed our shoes {I did have thoughts of upgrading my foot-
wear) and were ushered into a small dining hall. There was a large piece of palm
leaf at each place. The soharie leaf was at each place, and not as a placemat — it
would be our plate. We loaded up our leaves with traditional Indian foods: pumpkin,
channa (curried chick peas); mango, curried chataigne, kuchila and roti skin. The
roti was used to
pinch up the
other food on the
plate. It was deli-
cious and we
were not allowed
to leave until we
were showing
signs of being
really well fed.

Well fortified, we

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walked around
town as the sun
went down.

Women in colorful
saris and men in
robes, as well as
7 those in western
Sieibine, lit the diyas around their houses. A young boy had arranged diyas around his
bike. Families were sitting out on patios eating, drinking (non- alcoholic beverages) and
chatting. Small fireworks punctuated the Indian music and the soft lights of the diyas.
Cruisers were not the only visitors wandering around the town of Felicity. Many
Trinis had travelled to enjoy the lights, sights and sounds of this traditional festival.
And we were glad we came.

 

 

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