Village of lights turns bazaar

There were old-time cooking utensils and musical instruments, all shined and polished for the occasion.

Companies with an Indian-based heritage such as Caroni (1975) Limited occupied a large area with various equipment pertaining to the sugar cane industry on display.

At the main entrance, there was this huge wooden boat structure representing the Fatel Razack which brought Indian indentured labourers to Trinidad.

There was even a formal restaurant blocked around by coconut branches, serving authentic sweets and food cooked on firesides or “chulhas”.

This was the inception of the Divali Nagar (which when translated means village of the festival of lights), now celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The main purpose of the event then, was to celebrate the contribution made by the indentured labourers and their descendants to our multi-ethnic culture, and it was staged during the two weeks preceding the Divali holiday in Trinidad and Tobago.

For the first few years, the thousands of people crowding into the Mid Centre Mall exhibition area and the number of cars vying for limited parking spots signified that the event had outgrown its venue, and even more so, the Nagar was here to stay.

In 1991, the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC), which manages the Nagar was granted a lease for 15 acres of land at Endeavour Road, Chaguanas, for the purpose of developing a permanent venue for the annual exhibition, which precedes the Hindu festival of Divali.

The land was used for sugar cane cultivation at the time, so a substantial sum of money was needed to develop it into a suitable plot to construct buildings as well as install electrical and water supplies.

The result was that the organisation became heavily indebted, and had to find ways to generate income. At first, there was a limit to the amount of businesses allowed to rent booths at the Nagar, but in order to defray expenses, this has been slackened over the years and several non-culture oriented businesses have become regular fixtures.

For this, the organisation has been severely criticised for allowing the festival to veer from its religious/cultural background, into a bustling shoppers bazaar.

A visit to the Nagar last weekend was like a trip to a trade fair or a shopping mall.

The majority of clothing on sale was casual western wear, while the number of stalls with East Indian clothing like saris, shalwars and gararas were few and far between.

There were many booths filled with costume jewelry and cosmetics, but few offering “churias,” “payals,” “bindhis” and other ethnic items.

There were even plants, cars, toys, appliances and Christmas decorations on sale, but no visible signs of clay items such as deyas.

According to NCIC spokesman Bob Ramroop, this cannot be helped as it is necessary to have commercial booths to recover the cost of developing the area into an Indian cultural complex.

He explained that although events like lectures, Indian trade fairs and cultural shows take place at the site from time to time during the year, the staging of the Divali Nagar is their largest source of income.

“We don’t charge entrance fees and we have to raise funds on our own,” he explained.

“The only fee we charge patrons is parking for their vehicles, and most of this goes to maintain the enclosed secure car park.

“So it is necessary to have commercial rental of booths.”

He pointed out while that aspect of the Nagar had changed, the focus on Indian culture had not.

The paved pitch area used for commercial booths is separate from the auditorium area, which is used for the indigenous displays of artefacts, utensils and art, along with a Hall of Fame, honouring Indians who have contributed to the development of Indian culture in Trinidad.

“Many people come to the Nagar just to lime, so they don’t venture into the auditorium,” he revealed. “Even the entertainment outside caters to the liming crowd.

“But if you spend some time in there, you are sure to leave having learnt something new about Indian culture.

“Each night there are bhajans, skits and items performed by village and temple groups.”

A regular feature of the Nagar is also the on-site preparation of East Indian delicacies like doubles, pholourie, kachourie, barra, sada roti and saheena, which are sold through concessionaire arrangements.

Ramroop explained that other types of vegetarian foods have been allowed, such as pizza and Chinese food, in order to cater to the mixed crowd attending.

“Some people prefer to stay away from the more oily foods, so we must cater to them.”

However, in keeping with the religious significance, no alcoholic drinks or meat products are allowed in the venue.