Dear Editor,
GUYANESE Hindus in New York and in other parts of America have been engrossed in holy fasting and observance over the last month, not dissimilar to their brethren in Guyana and in various other parts of the large diaspora. Currently, they are observing Nav Ratri or nine days (and nights) of fasting that began Monday and concludes this coming Tuesday. During this auspicious period, they observe or worship the feminine aspects of the Lord, focusing on Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. It is a period of gross spiritual uplifting to cleanse the mind of evil or wicked thoughts.

Guyanese Hindus have been blessed to be spending time in the city over the last month having access to holy places (mandirs and specially built tents) for worshipping. They also took advantage of services presided over by popular and well-known pandits visiting from Guyana. Pandit Rajin Balgobin of New Amsterdam has been conducting nightly Navratri Puja in Richmond Hill and also presided over services at varied locations during the last month. His services are known to be packed to capacity and the tent at the Arya Samaj ground was filled on cool Fall nights in the city. He is among the most favourite pandits in America. Pandit Vishnu Panday of East Bank and other visiting pandits from Guyana, Trinidad, and Suriname also presided over yajna in New York over the last month. Services are generally open to the public as is also the custom or tradition in Guyana.

Large numbers of NY Guyanese Hindus took advantage of the many opportunities of Bhakti or devotion in the city. They participated in the week long Ramayana at Sri Surya Mandir in Jamaica in mid-August and the one at the Arya Samaj ground in late August for another week, Janam Astmi puja (birth of Lord Krishna) in August, various public yagyas in Kuly thru now, Lord Ganesh Chaturthi, Pitri Paksha puja or praying for the souls of the ancestors, and now Nav Ratri. The religious festivities continue with Diwali on October 22. Guyanese mandirs are known to observe every auspicious day in the Hindu calendar with special puja. So there is never a shortage of a religious event for Hindus.

As Guyanese in mandirs remarked, it is a joy to be in a place of worship where one can imbibe Bhakti or devotional service to one’s heart’s content. As Guyanese Hindus did or are currently doing in the USA in terms of worshipping, those in Guyana also observed the holy periods at mandirs and at their places of abode. Almost all mandirs in Guyana have been holding special nightly services as their counterparts in the diaspora in the USA and beyond. As in New York, mandirs in Guyana have been beautifully lit up for the Navratri festival that ends with the observance of Dussehra. This is also the period for Ram Leela plays.

As pandits stated in messages to worshippers at satsangs or services in the USA, may the Divine Power of the Lord shower blessings always to all.

Yours sincerely,
Vishnu Bishram