Kevon Felmine

As mil­lions world­wide basked in the mer­ri­ment of the Hin­du cel­e­bra­tion of Holi, the San Fer­nan­do Kala Sangam (SFKS) kept the mem­o­ry of late cul­tur­al icon Mun­gal Chat­ter­goon alive with its acts of char­i­ty.

Over 20 chow­tal groups passed through Skin­ner Park, San Fer­nan­do, on Sun­day as the Sangam held its 17th an­nu­al Phag­wa cel­e­bra­tions. Amidst a sun­ny day and cool breeze, the non-prof­it or­gan­i­sa­tion pro­vid­ed abeer, pumps, hot dou­bles, aloo pies and drinks, free of charge to all.

Con­tin­u­ing the works of her fa­ther, chair­man of the SFKS Lux­c­mi Chat­ter­goon and oth­er mem­bers gath­ered at the venue from as ear­ly as 8.30 am, wel­com­ing all to their event. The morn­ing pe­ri­od was spent singing chow­tals while the evening ses­sion saw many colour­ful and hap­py faces dabbed in abeer as they played Phag­wa. Among the groups par­tic­i­pat­ing in the cel­e­bra­tions in south Trinidad were, the Kr­ish­na Mandir Youth Group, Mix Vil­lage Cul­ture Group from San Fran­cique, and the Kir­tan Bha­jan Chow­tal Group from Av­o­cat.

Ac­cord­ing to Chat­ter­goon, the San Fer­nan­do Kala Sangam is an or­gan­i­sa­tion aimed at keep­ing In­di­an her­itage alive. Lo­cat­ed at Freel­ing Street, the group, which was start­ed by her fa­ther, en­gages in cul­tur­al ac­tiv­i­ties for In­di­an Ar­rival Day, Di­vali, Hosay and oth­er re­li­gious hol­i­days. Mun­gal Chat­ter­goon died at the age of 67 af­ter col­laps­ing be­fore he was to de­liv­er his po­ems at the Peo­ple's Space of the Com­mon­wealth Heads of Gov­ern­ment Meet­ing Vil­lage in Port-of-Spain, in 2009. A Uni­ver­si­ty of the West In­dies grad­u­ate and sec­ondary school teacher, Chat­ter­goon was an arts lover as well as a found­ing mem­ber of the San Fer­nan­do Arts Coun­cil and the Hin­du Se­va Sangh.