Edinburgh temple celebrates T&T’s 50th anniversary with prayers

The Edinburgh Hindu temple in Chaguanas will celebrate its 29th anniversary and this country’s 50th anniversary of Independence with the consecration of two life-size murtis of Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman on Sunday. The programme starts at 7 am. Spiritual leader Pundit Ramesh Tiwari told the T&T Guardian that the murtis were custom-made in Jaipur, India, and were shipped last week to Trinidad.

“The consecration of the murtis will also mark our temple’s contribution and participation in our country's 50th anniversary of Independence,” he said. “Our Independence is a solemn affair and it requires the serious and deep intervention of Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman to guide our people and our leaders to the next 50 years.

“Serious and indepth devotion, prayers and meditation are needed to bring our nation to an aura of sanity.” Tiwari is appealing to not only Hindus, but to all religious and ethnic groups in T&T to join in the, “very spiritually charged moment.” “Amidst the proliferation of murders, moral and ethical decadence in our society, this country and more so our leaders would have to shift the paradigm from materialism to spirituality,” he said.

He said the programme includes an open-air street parade, after the consecration of the murtis at the temple, and an address by Indra Maharaj. “According to the Ramayana, the Hindu religious text, Lord Hanuman was mandated by Lord Rama to remain on earth and take charge of his devotees, and hence so much prominence is paid to him,” Tiwari said. Some 13 devotees of the temple will also be honoured for their success at  the University of the West Indies, St Augustine.

They are: Varun Seegolam, Ronneil Juman, Alianna Ali, Lianna Roopnarine, Karen Persad, Faeryal Ali, Crystal Harrygin Singh, Triveni Maharaj, Krystal Anandi Mulchan, Vandana Samodee, Mainsha Santlal, Reena Dhanlal Kainarine and Sunita Rickhi-Ramkumarsingh.