Renewal in Remembrance

by Ariti Jankie in Houston, Texas

The balanjan/damadool chokha looked delicious. I added two tins of sweet corn to the chopped salad and brewed coffee.

On the other side of town Jasoda Sharma chunkayed the dhal, slipped on ancient silver bangles and got ready to leave. 

Chandra Mahabir finished making parsad, packed bigan chokha and sada roti sliced into quarters all set to go. Savi Gooman cooked the last buss-up shot roti to fill a cooler, Shomie took down the pot of bhaji from the stove, Radica Chatoor tested the channa and aloo, Dulsie strained a huge pot of rice, Nirmala Soodeen stirred mango talkarie and Tara Chatarpal stepped out of the kitchen to get dressed.

It was minutes to six in the morning and Indian Arrival Day Houston, Sunday 24^th May, an hour before celebrations were set to begin.

Lightning flashed, thunder cracked and the sky opened up, bucket-a-drop. The weather forecast said rain, flash flooding and tornado watch. The phones began ringing. Pundit Sase permitted an hour delay and in the rain families stepped out. The first to reach the temple gates was Larry Sawh with the Seegobin brothers Thirbowan and Harry Seegobin on their way home in Trinidad from India. Immediately afterwards, vehicles began arriving and filled up every available parking space.

Shashi Beharry set up a display, Arjan Singh Jagirdar cut a jhandi, Pundit Nankumar Rampershad began preparations for pooja while the others got ready to begin the day’s program. In the temple yard at Players Street, Pundit Sase began pooja with the jhandi. We offered jal and continued with worship of Hanuman, God of the Wind singing the chalisa as we walked into the mandir to sit in a circle and commence our remembrances for a faith renewal and brotherhood derived from a shared history and heritage.

The fierce rain was reduced to a drizzle before first vehicle reached the temple gate. The sun came out as we talked.  Too soon, it was time for a coveted breakfast of sada roti and chokha. A chulha had been built and roasting bigan began perfuming the breakfast shed as had been done so often in a thousand little huts of the Caribbean.

Five beautiful women lit decorative deeyas to inaugurate the celebration before Dharam Vishal Chatoor, President of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha 377 of Houston took the microphone to welcome his guests and hand over to the Master of Ceremonies - Radio Jagriti’s Sharda Jaishree. Nadia Chatarpal had trained a group of children to recite the sacred mantras and sing the national anthem in Hindi, Amrita Chatarpal danced for Bhagwan Shiv as more guests arrived and a few departed to attend other functions.

The first award went to RAJOUTIE CHATARPAL for longstanding service to the Indo-Caribbean community.

She travelled from Guyana to New York, Canada, England and Holland, before settling in Texas and always found a mandir to attend. A strong and quiet woman, she continues to be a source of inspiration.

Her grand-daughter Amrita danced, Ram Sharma and Shomie Ramprashad sang before Bobby Teelucksingh received his award from Tulsi and Chandra Mahabir.

Tassa - Trinidad style

Bobby’s mother bought him a miniature tassa drum when he was seven. Tassa became a driving force in his life. Born in Claxton Bay, Trinidad, he joined the Moving Stars Tassa group and in 2000, when he migrated to Texas he turned his home into a school, he bought more drums and formed a band playing for free wherever he was called. The boys played as he walked the red carpet for recognition and played again as President Chatoor sang a bhiraha to tassa music.

Larry sang “Sohani Raat”, a love song adored by Trinidadians. It symbolizes the relation between Indo-Trinidadians and India, the land of their ancestors.

Chris Ramlochan received accolades for providing music every Friday for eight years. He took his own musical equipment to the SDMS mandir and on Sunday mornings did the same at the Sanatan Dharam mandir. Last year, he worked single handedly to beautify the mandir for Divali and has been offering practice sessions to bhajan singers. His love for music and dedication adds significantly to the sacredness of temple service.

Dancing Amrita held up her trophy with a dazzling smile.

She was a little girl when she started dancing in the mandir. She recently graduated after 16 years of dance training and has been teaching dance since. A daughter of the Sanatan Dharam mandir, she embodies the virtues that make her a role model to the younger children.

Muni and Tara Chatarpal are the parents of five children, they gave to each child a solid foundation combining spirituality with academics, writing plays, composing songs, singing and playing music. They are part of every mandir celebration, working with others to enhance the cultural traditions of our Indo-Caribbean people.

Tara and Muni Chatarpal and family- Radica Chatoor at centre

Pundit Nankumar and Shomie Ramprashad were next.

Punditji is humble and dedicated. Shomie is a singer with a vast repertoire of bhajans and Hindi film songs. Together, they make a delightful couple and have been regulars at the SDMS Friday night Durga Puja sessions and the Sanatan Dharam Sunday morning service. Spiritually strong and dedicated they are the pillars of dharma in Houston.

Shomie - singing star

Pundit RAMESH RAMJAS comes from a religious family and lived in an ashram between the age of seven to twenty-five. He started a mandir in Canada, went back to Guyana for five years before settling down in Texas. He travels to India every year and is well respected for his knowledge and understanding of the scriptures. He continues to travel to many countries and places to perform pooja.

Cultural icon, Jasoda Sharma proved to be a livewire at the ceremony. Born in Guyana, she is a mother of five. She cut her cultural teeth in the mandir writing, directing and producing plays which she took to cinema halls to raise money for charity. In Houston, she makes costumes for Ram Leela and works with the younger generation to keep them invested in Indian art and cultural traditions.

Jasoda and Ariti

Attorney at Law, Bashist Sharma gave good advice in his feature address calling for watchdogs to guard and protect minority groups. He evoked the pioneering spirit of ancestors of India saying that while the older generations were guided by parents who were role models in real life, the new generation needs to be informed of the sacrifices made and hardships endured in the journey from India to the Caribbean and America.

He said that Indian Arrival Day reminded us of who we are, where we came from and where we want to go. His daughter Mala was at his side adding words of advice to the younger participants.

The program came to an end shortly after 2.00 pm with a vote of thanks by Pundiit Sase. And though, the menu was supposed to be dhal, baat and bhaji there were many other dishes including channa-aloo, buss-up shot roti, mango talkarie, sweet rice and mango lassi as well as other dishes brought in for the occasion.

Indian Arrival Day went into its second year in Houston and remains one of the most enjoyable and successful event in the Indo-Caribbean calendar.