On Monday evening devotees of the Penal Hindu Youth Organizations and other mandirs and kirtan groups completed 24 hours of non-stop chanting of the Gayatri Mantra and singing of bhajans and chants. More than fifteen groups participated in this devotional exercise.
This event was held for the 26th year after a break of two years caused by Covid 19. I asked Ramhit how this program came about. “It was the PNM that inspired this event. In 1995 the country was in a terrible state and the late Keesh Ramoutar suggested that we start this event to save the country,” said Ramhit.
In addition to the devotion there was the serving of meals and hot drinks throughout the event. The sponsorship of the event was collective with several individuals, families and businesses making generous donations. One devotee who has been generously supporting this annual spiritual exercise is Haridath Singh of Singh’s Double of Debe.
Planning for the event starts months before. “While it is a fixed event in the calendar, devotees must be invited and reminded later. There is also the cleaning of the venue and the preparation of the altar and the several havan kunds for the offerings,” said Ramhit, the leading person in this huge undertaking.
Open to all, there is no restriction of any group participating. This open atmosphere has kept several groups over the years with new ones coming on board, “Our focus is on devotion. As I said earlier, this spiritual exercise started when there was an atmosphere of helplessness,” said Ramhit.
It was not accidental that in 1995 the Basdeo Panday government came to power. “It was a clear case of Bhagwan responding to our plight,” said Ramhit.
Today, the nation has found itself in a similar situation. it is becoming clearer each day that debating in Parliament is not enough to lift us out of the current political and social doldrum. More than ever, we need the intervention of Hanumanji in this struggle for a better and brighter Trinidad and Tobago where a culture of peace, love and equal opportunity would prevail.