A New Dawn for Hindus

Divali festival souvenir magazine 2000

The Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC) wishes to announce the publication and sale of its souvenir magazine - Divali November 2000 in Trinidad and Tobago.

Hindus comprise the second largest religious group in Trinidad and Tobago after Roman Catholics. Most Indians are Hindus, and Indians form just over half of the population (1.3 million) of the tiny Caribbean island. For thousands of Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago, Divali - The Festival of Lights - is a sacred day. On this public holiday, other nationals join in the celebration, lighting deyas [earthen lamps] and visiting Hindu friends who welcome them warmly into their homes.

November 2000

11 x 8 ½ inches

44 pages with advertisements and articles

ISSN 1683-4143

Glossy pages and cover

A time for reflection [editorial]
2000 Divali Message by Prime Minister Basdeo Panday
2000 Divali Message by Minister of Culture and Gender Affairs Dr. Daphne Phillips
Divali - a tradition of triumph in Trinidad by Neil Seedial
Divali - the darkest and brightest night of the year by Attish Kanhai
Long ago, Divali was not so popular in Trinidad by Enterprise Hindu Mandir
Divali in strange and cold North America by Ram Jagessar
Christians and Hindus share similar beliefs by Vishwanath Bachan
Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College shines like a deya by D. Parsuram Maharaj
Icon and idols - understanding the Hindu perspective by Joseph Gopaul
Some writers show contempt for Hinduism by Secretary General of the Maha Sabha Sat Maharaj
A call for an intellectual Hindu class in Trinidad by Kamal Persad
How she goh look? (Story) by Willi Chen
Hindu voices in the call-in radio programmes by Joe Ramcharan
Basdeo Panday: A Political Biography by Samaroo Siewah
Getting rid of fibrosis with local herbs - the answer may lie in your kitchen by Francis Morean
Hindus and the Fiji Crisis by Dr. George E. Dhanny
Indian classical music is on the rise by Gregory Diethrich
The Shri Murugan Foundation of Trinidad by Daren Ponambalam
Diabetes mellitus, or sugar in the blood by Khasraj Maharaj
The tolerance and conversion of Hindus by D. H. Singh

Kumar Mahabir

is a full-time anthropologist at the University of Guyana (UG) and Fellow of The Eccles Centre for American Studies, British Library (2022-23). He is a former Assistant Professor at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). He obtained his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Florida (UF). As a doctoral student, he won a Florida Caribbean Institute Award, an A. Curtis Wilgus Grant, and an Organization of American States (OAS) Fellowship.
Mahabir received a National Award (Hummingbird Silver Medal) for his contribution to education in his country in 2011. He was among 50 recipients who received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the UWI Alumni Association.
Mahabir is the author of 12 books to date.