Divali Nagar has a come a long way in its 30-year history. Having started as the replica of a village depicting facets of cultural life during T&T’s Indentureship period, the event was initially staged at the back of the Mid-Centre Mall, Chaguanas.
The event became so popular and outgrew the venue so that the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) lobbied for the Nagar’s permanent home to be located along the Uriah Butler Highway. In three decades, the Nagar has become part of the cultural landscape that has served to demystify Hinduism to people who had little knowledge of the religion. It has also helped to encourage the new generation of Hindus to strengthen their faith.
The annual themes of the Nagar focus on various aspects of Hinduism. These themes are complemented with a large display on the subject matter that gives a wealth of information. This year’s theme is Ganga Maa, which focuses on the goddess of the River Ganga (Ganges). In Hinduism, the river Ganga is considered sacred and is personified as a goddess, Ganga. It is worshipped by Hindus who believe that bathing in the river causes the remission of sins and facilitates Moksha (liberation from the cycle of life and death).
The Sunday Guardian sought feedback from people at the Nagar.
Dr Winston Tolan, a Jamaican who organises Indian Arrival Day celebrations in his country, has been coming to the Nagar for the last 18 years to sing. Tolan said the Nagar has given a lot of opportunity for Indians living in the region to showcase their culture. Tolan said in Jamaica there are around 20,000 people of Indian origin. However, they are scattered across the large island and the economics and logistics make it difficult to stage a similar event. He said Indian Arrival Day in Jamaica is the largest event the community has annually.
Gowtam Mahadeo, spokesman of the Blue Bird’s Sports and Cultural Organization, said his group sells pepper roti at the Nagar. He said it was the only fundraiser the group has annually to assist with several community-based activities in the Penal/Barrackpore area. Mahadeo said he expects this year to be as good as those gone by despite the recession.
Pran Rampersad, a resident of Barrackpore, said he has visited the Nagar since its inception. Rampersad said the Nagar has come a long way. However, he would like to see the format changed to include more outdoor cultural exhibits as was done in 1986.
Denise Chinpire, who operates a booth with pooja items, said the food court area needs to be upgraded. Chinpire said the area could do with the installation of outdoor sinks for handwashing and places for people with families to sit and eat. Chinpire said even though the economy has slowed down, the Nagar would see hundreds of thousands of visitors during its ten-day run. She said this would provide an ample opportunity to promote her business and interact with customers firsthand.
Pedro Williams, a corn soup vendor who has been at the Nagar for the past 15 years, said business has always been good at the Nagar. Williams said Thursday’s opening night has been one of the best in years. Traditonally opening nights draw the smallest crowds. William said he anticipates more visitors to the Nagar this year because the event is free and has proper security in place.
Cintra Persad, a newcomer to the Nagar, said her main aim was to promote her graphic arts business, CS designs, and develop a year-round clientele based on the contacts she makes at the Nagar.
Rajiv Deonarine, one of the few male henna artistes in T&T, who works for an organization called Henna T&T, said henna art is in big demand at Divali time. Deonarine said Henna T&T also hopes to develop long-term clients based on the exposure at the Nagar.
Surujdeo Mangaroo, PRO of the NCIC, said the Nagar has grown in quality over the years and is still a work in progress that will only get better. Mangaroo said despite a fall in government subventions the Nagar would not lower its standards of entertainment or the delivery of cultural themes and presentations. He was confident that support will come from all sectors for the 2017 Divali Nagar.
The Nagar closes on Friday, October 28, and each night promises to be filled with entertainment. The secret is to reach early, make a tour of the grounds, and get a good seat closer to the stage.