GOD is ah TRINI

Toco Bay on North Easthern Coast of Trinidad

I am currently in Trinidad and Tobago. Twin islands to the far south of the Caribbean Sea. There are many interesting places here that are unque to these small islands rich not only in its diverse cultures but also the warmth and passion of the people. Life is simple and easygoing. Here is where East and West converge..and 'the Ganges meet the Nile' from a popular calypso by David Rudder a famous calypsonian.

The food is exotic and highly seasoned with fresh green chives, celery and pimentos and red hot peppers. The islands can boosts of tropical green rainforests, breathing beaches on its many coasts and mangrove swamps. In addition to this these islands have a rich spiritual heritage with an intermingling of many faiths, the Baptist, Hindus, Moslems and many Christian faiths.

Seem strange that where there has been so many wars fought all over the world, in this tiny country, all these different cultures, religious beliefs and races exist side by side. I invite you on a journey of discovery to explore these two beautiful islands...where the locals sometimes joke that 'GOD is ah TRINI'.

View from Look out on the North Coast Road leading to Maracus Bay

Virbhadra Temple

I spend Christmas in India and it was an enchanting experience. I visited this beautiful temple in January of the new year. There is a story behind this location. It is said to be the site where Daksha, an ancient indian king had a yagna or fire offering. Daksha's daughter was Sati who was married to Lord Shiva. Daksha was opposed to this marraige and disliked Lord Shiva so he did not invite his son-in-law or daughter Sati to the yagna, though he invited all the other Gods. Sati went to the yagna, though Lord Shiva told her not to go, because they were not invited and became distraught because of the dishonor of her husband who was not invited and threw herself into the yagna fire. Lord Shiva on hearing this dreadful news became angry and distraught and sent Virbhadra to distroy the yagna and Daksha whom he beheaded. Enraged and saddened by the loss of Sati, Lord Shiva carried the body all over the Universe. Lord Vishnu to pacify him sent his discus and cut Sati's body into pieces that fell all over India and became known as Shakti peetas. The Shiva Lingam in the temple is very beautiful and the vibrations of the temple are calming and condusive for meditation. There are also shrines to Mother Durga and Lord Hanuman on the temple grounds.

A tale across many seas...many generations....

Ganges in Rishikesh

This is my second time in India. My first time was in December 2005 and that time was a magical experience...it was like a homecoming of sorts...though I do consider myself a Trini....India holds a special place in my heart...the place where my ancestors left many years ago and travelled across many seas to reach the Caribbean...and set their feet on Trinidad soil. They must have been brave...and a tad adventurous...to go so far...I did ask my grandmothers the story and they both told me.

My Aggee which is my father's mother told me that her grandmother left India with her two young sons to come to the West Indies. She did not know why she left, and also was not sure what happened to my great grandfather. For a woman, alone with two small children to make that trip would have been very courageous especially in those times...when you would not have known where you were going. My  Nani also told me the love story of her grandparents who fell in love on the boat...that went India to  Guyana...where they did their indentureship and decided to go back India after they had finished. However when they did, they were disowned by their family so they came back to Trinidad where they sat on the Savannah until someone took them to the St. Madeline Sugar Plantation.

There are so many similarities between the two countries. When I first saw the Himalayas when I stayed in Rishikesh, it reminded me so much of our Northern Range in Trinidad...when I am driving on the Highway going North...I will have to post pictures so you can see. There are also temples ever so often when you are in India...and you don't have to worry about sitting crossed legged...like I might do sometimes in work when no one is looking...because in India this is normal.  

So India I travelled again...back to where my forefathers came...the smell of the earth...the air makes me nostalgic...And I imagined for some reason like it was like coming full circle...that they had left to come Trinidad...and here I was back in India...this magical place where the sand banks of the Ganges sparkle as though they came from heavan...and if you know the story of the Ganges you would know she did...