Ancient Hindu seers of India have attempted to define who is a Hindu and what the practices of such a person are. These ancient experts of Hinduism also attempted to confine the Hindu to a place on the sub-continent of India.
It is referred to as Sapta Sindhu Bhoomi. This is often translated to mean the area where the seven sacred rives of India flow–the Ganga, Yamuna, Sadavari, Saraswati, Namarada, Sindhu and the Kaveri river.
In recent times the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Organization) defines a Hindu as, "One who accepts and practices the ancient philosophies and preachings of Bharatiya (Indian) rishis, munis and gurus for the attainment of material as well as eternal happiness; one who respects and practices the traditions established over time by great seers of Bharata; one with good character and liberal practices; one who practices Dharma, as prescribed by shastras of Bharata; such a person, whatever she/he may be by birth and wherever she/he may be born, is a Hindu."
Ashok Singhal, the VHP leader for many years, has visited us in Trinidad on numerous occasions and has travelled the world spreading the message that Hinduism embraces all. This modern day definition of who is a Hindu now stretches across continents and includes the concept of Dharma. This prescribes for the individuals the four goals of life which are: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksh.
Translated, these goals encourage righteous living and helping others. It also permits the acquisition of wealth and property and the enjoyment of life's pleasures. At the end of one's life, enlightenment and salvation is attainable.
Swami Vivekananda is remembered for the speech he delivered at the World's Parliament of Religions at Chicago, USA in 1893. While Caribbean Hindus respect and revere the great Swami, we wish to place on record the correct date for the arrival of Hinduism to the western world.
Generations of our ancestors arrived in the Caribbean and South America more than 50 years before the great Swami delivered his now famous speech in Chicago. The first contingent of Indians and Hindus arrived in Guyana in 1838 and in keeping with their traditions, that year they performed their first puja and planted their first red flag in honour of Lord Hanuman, the monkey-faced God with the Mukdar (mace) in hand.
Seven years later the first contingent of mostly Hindus arrived in Trinidad aboard the SS Fatel Rozack in 1845. The date of this arrival, May 30, is now a public holiday to mark not only the arrival of this sailing ship three months after leaving the port of Calcutta but also to celebrate the arrival of Hindus in T&T. Indian Arrival Day is an important part of the history of our country.
Over a three-day period, Friday October 2 to Sunday October 4 (this weekend), a unique Hindu conference will take place at the Radisson Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. It is called the Hindu Mandirs Executives' Conference founded in the United States and now extended to Guyana, T&T and Hindus of the Caribbean.
The objective of the conference is to create and promote a Hindu community that is cohesive and focused on mandirs and other dharmic institutions. The synergies derived from this networking may help imbue in our children and grandchildren with Hindu values and traditions more effectively. In this conference we all may learn to value our values more meaningfully and create a legacy for other generations to be proud of. The theme of the conference is: Strengthening the Hindu Family.
The conference starts with registration at 4 pm and dinner at 7 pm. The inaugural session for the programme is at 8 pm. The Friday evening sessions is filled with distinguished speakers from across the world. On Saturday the conference resumes at 8 am after refreshing yoga, meditation and bhajan classes at 6 am, followed by breakfast at 7 am.
There are 22 sessions in the programme (over 114 speakers and moderators) in which representatives from across Trinidad, Guyana, Canada and USA share their ideas, experiences and wisdom through talks that are informative as well as enlightening. The programme is structured around the five functional areas of significance to the Hindu institutions.
These themes will include worship, education, seva, culture and operations. The scope of the issues to be discussed is both local and global in nature. Due to overwhelming response, four parallel tracks have been created in the Saturday post-lunch segments and an interactive workshop with breakout sessions. There are several youth speakers, moderators and emcees integrated in sessions throughout the conference. In addition, there are special youth sessions and workshops on Saturday.
The one and a half day conference is filled with a string of inspiring and exciting sessions: Caribbean Hindu Experiences and Journey; Family Roles; External Pressures; Contemporary Challenges to Family Life in the Diaspora; Sustaining the Ashram; Institution of Marriage: the Foundation of a Hindu Family; Role of Priests in Strengthening the Hindu Family; Leveraging Knowledge through Technology; Youth–Identity and Self-Evolution; Nones, Millennials; and Gen X, Hindu Pride.