I may have been about five or six years old when I started going to the mandir. I recall holding on the skirt of my Aggie while walking to the mandir and wondering what was this place all about. In her hand she had her lota and a bag of flowers. I was still too little to be entrusted with those precious items for worship. I remember seeing two tall suparee trees as we entered the gateway. Just at the roots of those trees, there was a tap where I saw devotees trekking back and forth with their lota of water. Not too far from the tap I could see the doub grass growing, and a bit younger, the tulsi plants in bunches. As we walked to the entrance of the building I felt the gravel stone shift with our weight making a crunchy sound. On reaching the entrance my Aggie took off her slippers at a coconut-fibre mat. As we entered, my feet touched the leepayed floor. Inside, I was in wonder. What was this place all about? That, I believe, was my first memory of the El Dorado Shiv Mandir on Caura Royal Road, El Dorado Village, Tunapuna. Little did I know one day I would become the president. As the temple celebrates its 100th anniversary, I can't help but wonder how things have changed over the century? I guess I was always a curious one. My Aggie seemed at home, for as she entered she said, "Sita Ram," and the women respectfully replied "Sita Ram," adding "Bharki Mai." Years later I learned it meant "Sita Ram Elder Mother."
A thirst for knowledge
I always had a thirst to find out more about the origin of my home, the temple, which over the years led me to the doorsteps of people like Uncle Bassie, Dhanragie Sam, Uncle Reds, Deokie Harrilal and elders of the community to capture the rich history of the El Dorado Shiv Mandir. This is perhaps one of the more rewarding projects I ever undertook in my life. It was a joy sitting with elders to have my history, my culture, my dharma passed on to me. The mandir started in 1912 as an institution born from Madrassie and Hindu immigrants who worked at the Orange Grove Estate and lived in El Dorado. It started on the lands of Morgan (an indentured immigrant) in a small thatched kuti where the devotees performed Kali puja. The yearning for Hindu cultural identity in the post-indentureship period was so strong that the kuti became too small for the hundreds of devotees. In 1914 the devotees were given permission to use one lot of land on the site on which the temple now stands. Today, almost all the religious dates in the Hindu calendar are observed at the Mandir.
Reflection
As I reflect on the mandir's history, I can say the El Dorado Shiv Mandir continues to be a rich part of our cultural heritage. Some things have remained the same and some have definitely changed over the 100 years. Family worship has remained intact. Just as my Aggie took me to the mandir and introduced me to worship and culture, today I see many families bringing the children and grandchildren to worship at the mandir. It is so nice to see five- and six-year-olds putting their hands together and greeting you with "Sita Ram." What has also remained the same is the commitment and enthusiasm of the pandits, as is the dedication of devotees to upkeep the mandir. So maybe the tap at the front of the mandir is gone. Maybe the suparee trees have been replaced by ashoka trees. Maybe the gravel pathway has given way to a terrazzo floor, and maybe the thatched tapia roof is now concrete floor? What I can say? The El Dorado Shiv Mandir is my home, my temple for 100 years, just as it was the home for my ancestors.
