Hinduism thriving in Guyana

Georgetown, Guyana, Apr 8 (UNI) If Hinduism is thriving anywhere outside India, then it has to be Guyana with thousands of Hindu temples of every imaginable god and goddesses of Hindu mythology dotting the skyline of this South American country.

''It is stunning and I can say with confidence that at the moment Hinduism is more stronger in Guyana than even urban India," said Pundit Hari Shankar Sharma, the only genuine Pundit from India in the whole of South America.

He is in great demand and a car and a bungalow have been gifted to him for his use, Pundit has to race against time to go to many temples under him and pass on the genuine ''karmas'' to the devotees seeking divine blessings.

Nobody could speak Hindi in these temples but they can chant Sanskrit shlokas for hours together, keep fast for nine days during Navratri and make sure that colourful flags fly on the premises of every Hindu household here.

''We go to temple thrice a week and perform all the pujas as per the Hindu calendar. None of us know Hindi but we follow what the Pandit say and get it translated to English. Sanskrit shlokas are written in English for easy chanting'' said Bisnoodei Rambaram happily chanting eight hours of shlokas in a purple colur tights and blue jeans.

The dress code is different, language is English, temple ''prasad'' also contains Cokes, but Hinduism is thriving and most admiringly the new generations are looking up to Hinduism and India for solace in life.

''I have spent 32 years of my life in New York. I ran a travel agency sending mostly Indian peoples to pilgrimage, while my husband was into construction. Both of us decided to leave everything and come back to Guyana and live here the rest of our life. We are going to India for our seventh pilgrimage and this could be the last'' said Mrs Bharati Persud.

The only living link between motherland India and Gyanese Indian is the Pundit who is originally from Etwah in Uttar Pradesh.

Through the Sangh Praivar's Sanskar Bharati he landed up in South America four years ago to devote five years of his life to spread Hinduism.

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