Religious fervor grips Indo-Caribbean Hindus in the West Indies and the diaspora (North America and elsewhere) over the coming inauguration of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir slated for January 22 in the tinsel town of Ayodhya, India. Hindus in the West (Caribbean and the diaspora) are excited and enthused about this grand opening of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir.
There is much anticipation in the Caribbean diaspora for the inauguration and they are doubly excited that the Prime Minister will be the main shrota for the puja. Everywhere in New York and other parts of the Caribbean Hindu diaspora, there is talk of the inauguration of the Shri Ram Mandir. All the mandirs in North America and the Caribbean will hold special puja on January 21 and several of them will also host katha on January 22.
People eagerly look forward to the occasion and several activities have been planned around the globe for the historic occasion. Lord Rama is returning after a very long Banwas (exile) of hundreds of years. The Ram mandir construction was delayed for a very long period. Hindu leaders (of Mandirs and organizations) are preparing for a variety of programs to welcome Lord Rama around this day. Some are organizing a program for January 21 (January 22 India time) in Suriname, Trinidad, Guyana, America, Canada, and elsewhere.
The Hindu Diaspora Foundation (HDF), founded by Ramesh (Mark) Ramdeen, is on a public relations awareness and promotional campaign to inform Hindus in the diaspora and other interested people of the ceremony to consecrate Lord Rama murthi and the mandir inauguration in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh state from where many Hindus migrated to the Caribbean and the grimitya diaspora. The ceremonies are planned for January 22 (January 21 evening New York time). Ramdeen ji would like Hindus to mark the occasion with puja and other ceremonies. And he and his foundation are involved in several functions in the Caribbean (Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname) and New York related to the January 22 ceremonies and inauguration.
The principal aim of the Hindu diaspora Foundation (HDF) is to unite and collaborate with other Hindu organizations to promote Hinduism in the diaspora as well as to address the challenges Hindus face. The organization promotes and urges a pan-Hindu celebration of the grand historic occasion of the inauguration of the Ram mandir and the consecration ceremonies of the murthis.
Shri Ramdeen-ji is urging Hindus to join in the public celebrations organize in their communities and or by hosting their program of activities around the time of the pran pratishta (sacred consecration) of the murthi and the inauguration of the mandir. He encourages people to have satsangs, pujas, and bhajan singing, among other activities. Major celebrations are planned in Guyana, Trinidad, Surinam, and New York. Lord Rama is one of the favored reincarnations of the Hindu God.
The HDF is sponsoring activities to commemorate the occasion in New York, Trinidad, Guyana, and Suriname. The non-profit organization has been distributing a flyer informing the public of its activities urging them to attend and also calling upon Hindus to organize their functions if unable to attend other programs. It is encouraging and urging Hindus to hold special ceremonies at home, light deyas, and or also organize puja and or bhajan singing in their mandirs and communities as well as watch the live telecast of proceedings in Ayodhya on January 22 (Jan 21 night/morning) Caribbean (North American) time.
The HDF founder Ramdeen ji notes that Shri Ram is returning to Ayodhya after thousands of years and is an occasion for celebration. A Ram mandir is built on the location where Shri Ram was born or appeared on earth over five thousand years ago. Ramdeen-ji says that every Hindu should observe and celebrate the opening of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. “Followers of Shri Ram should sing praises to his great name. They should light deyas as in celebration of Diwali”.
Shri Ramdeen ji adds: “This is a very joyous occasion, one to celebrate. That is why the HDF is promoting the organizing of celebrations and why it is hosting and or co-sponsoring ceremonies at mandirs in several countries. This is a matter of immense fortune that we are here on earth to watch as well as to host our puja dedicated to Shri Ram as a new mandir is constructed on the site where he was born after so many years”.
Suriname is hosting a mammoth celebration for Consecration of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir organized by Maha Sabha President Pandit Nitin Jagbhandan and others at Roeli’s, Kronenburgweg, Paramaribo on the evening of January 21. Ramdeen ji is a special guest in Suriname for ceremonies. His daughter Radha Ramdeen will perform a Classical Bharatanatyam dance at the event.