Pundit/teacher/leader/announcer

Seated on the Vyas Gaadhi (a high seat made for a priest), his fingers expertly ran through the notes of the harmonium, as he sang the bhajan, “Boley Boley Hanuman”. His powerful voice filled the Datta Treya Yoga centre sending the audience into a spell of spirituality, singing the praises of Lord Hanuman (Hindu God). Among the many singers in the country, Pundit Satyanand Maharaj, 33, has a distinct voice but melodious voice that keeps his audience captivated. He is able to sing the most meaningful bhajans in a style of his own that is remarkable. It is no surprise therefore, that he was selected to host the 103 FM programme, Darshan which is aired every morning from 4 to 6 am. Apart from having an enchanting and attractive voice, he is a pundit (Hindu priest) who leads two major groups in the country including the Tobago Hindu Society and the Lakshmi Narayan Bhakti Mandalli (LNBM) of Tunapuna.

By profession he is a teacher at Tunapuna Hindu School. But he has dedicated his life to the promotion of Hinduism and culture. Dressed in a dhoti and kurta (traditional East Indian garb) he stepped down from his seat as many of his devotees rushed towards him to touch his feet. He smiled and outstretched his hands to bless them. Satyanand has been able to create an impact wherever he is invited to host santsaangs (prayer meetings). He has a diploma in Hindu Philosophy and another in the Hindi Language. After a very heartwarming session in the temple, he sat down for a further hour into the night to talk about his life. “I believe that people everywhere are starving for true happiness. They go all out to get that happiness and it is within their reach. But they must apply themselves in order to experience this unique since of happiness,” he said. His recipe for happiness is simple. “A person should take time to connect with their inner self and to make that connection with God and know that he is not far away in the skies but actually he is in the spirit within the human being.” Interestingly, Satyanand has many young people in the Tunapuna area involved in the LNBM. With this philosophy he is able to reach younger people and put direction in their lives. Satyanand told People that he made up his mind a long time ago to study Hindu philosophy because he found that it carried such deep meaning to life. “In Hinduism one can find the answer to life’s most complicated questions. It is therefore simple for him to say that it is because of the bad karma (actions) committed in the past, people encounter problems and if they want to have success they must change their thoughts and actions. Then things will start falling in place,” he explained. He noted that people everywhere treat themselves very badly by looking in the wrong places for love and happiness. “Love is easy to find if we try to connect with God. The personal relationship we have with God gives us strength to battle the problems of life and even in the most difficult situation we are able to be calm and peaceful,” he said.

Satyanand stressed the need for men to stick with their families and experience the true joy of having the love a dedication of a wife and that of their children. “While there is a need to go out with the boys and ‘lime’, there is greater joy that comes from being around the home and lighting up the atmosphere with jokes and dialogue among the members of the family,” he said. He noted that men are missing out on the great moments in life when they choose to only lime on the outside and spend little time at home. Satyanand is married to the beautiful Vandana Maharaj who works at First Citizens Bank. They have a one-year-old son, Aditya. Vandana is a qualified classical dancer and she is very much involved in the group that her husband leads. Satyanand has an easy disposition that draws the children of the school to him. In a session at school he called out to a noisy class saying: “Listen people if you all talk at the same time, what will happen? The school is noisy. If each of you be quiet, then what will happen? Everyone will be able to carry on in a peaceful environment. Choose what you want a noisy school or some peace.” He smiles with them as they understand what he is saying. Satyanand has a gift to reach people and he has been building a name for himself through his programme on radio and as he travels throughout the country doing santsaangs. He has taken up the task of going to various communities in TT to do prayer-meetings and lectures. For those who would like to listen to this delightful person, they can contact him at his workplace.