Hundreds packed Shri Sundar Gopal Mandir in Richmond Hill, Queens, NY on Monday evening Oct 12 to listen to Pandit Munelall Maharaj of Trinidad as he expounded on the festival of Sharadiya Navratri (Fall as different from the one in Spring), the holiest period of fasting for Hindus. Nav means nine; ratri means night. It is nine nights of worshipping but it includes fasting in the day (consuming only vegetarian meals or not eating at all). The festival began on Sunday October 11 and will conclude on the 19th. Mandirs in New York have been hosting nightly services – discourses on the holy scriptures – with worshippers decked out in beautiful outfits. Some mandirs plan to continue the service on the 20th known as Vijay Dashmi (10th day meaning ‘victory’). These soul-stirring nightly katha and devotional discourse are dedicated to the Divine Mother, Goddess Durga (Protection) and her feminine re-incarnations Goddess Lakshmi (Light) and Goddess Saraswati (Knowledge and Education).
For nine auspicious nights, mandirs in USA and spaces like the Cheddi Jagan Square off Liberty Ave and 132rd Street overflowed with devotees eager to immerse themselves in scriptural wisdom, traditional bhajans, and profound discourses on righteous living. Richmond Hill (affectionately dubbed “Little Guyana”) and other parts of NY City and NY State pulsed with the rhythmic beating of dholak drums, the chiming of brass manjeeras and jaal (cymbal), and the sweet scent of burning ghee, incense, and camphor. Parsad and dinner were served nightly after puja.
In NY, Guyanese and other Hindus help to preserve religious traditions with their practices at home and in the mandirs; they focused on prayers, devotion, and singing religious songs in praise to the lord. The prayers include rituals performed through sacred offerings, a practice of seeking divine blessings, peace, prosperity, and spiritual well-being. Such religious observances also provide opportunities for members of the community to come together in faith and fellowship. Mandirs have been packed nightly with devotees.
Richmond Hill is home to a vibrant Indo-Caribbean community, many of whose families maintain close ties to Hindu religious and cultural practices originating in Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, Jamaica, India, and other parts of the Caribbean, South Asia, Fiji, Mauritius, Africa, and other parts of the globe where Hindus were taken by colonial empires over a hundred and fifty years ago.
Hundreds gathered nightly at Sundar Gopal, 104 Street, off 101 Ave. for religious discourse presided over by different pandits. Sundar Gopal Mandir is one of more than a dozen mandirs that serve as a place of worship in the greater Richmond Hill area; dozens more are in Queens, Brooklyn, and Bronx and other parts of NY state. They are institutions of spiritual gathering for Caribbean Hindus and are also patronized by nationals from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and other countries. Navratri and other festivals contribute to the continued practice of Hindu religious traditions and strengthen the bonds among families and community members. Navratri, and before it Pitri Pakshi and Ganesh Chaturthi festival highlight the continuing role of temples and religious leaders in nurturing faith, encouraging community participation, and passing spiritual traditions on to younger generations. These Yagyas are occasions of religious devotion and communal fellowship, reflecting the enduring importance of worship in the cultural life of Guyanese in America.
Pt Munelall is known to inspire masses, celebrated across the global diaspora for his eloquent exposition of the scriptures, reminiscent of Shri Prakash Gossai, a celebrated exponent t of the scriptures. He is so popular that mandirs tend to overflow with worshippers whenever Pt. Munlelall reads from, interpret, and expound on the scriptures. Pt. Munelall used the sacred platform of Navratri to address the trials and triumphs facing contemporary immigrant families in America. Drawing deeply from the Devi Bhagavata Purana and the triumphs of the Divine Mother over inner demons, his nightly narratives bridged ancient Vedic philosophy with the realities of modern diaspora life.
He is also a fantastic singer with a melodious voice and has produced several CDs. Pt. Munelall studied in Trinidad and India and is well known in Guyana having conducted services around the country almost every year over the last several years. Pt. Munelall presided over katha at different mandirs on different nights in Queens during Navratri and other festivals.
At Sundar Gopal, Pt. Munelall guided the religious observance, emphasizing the spiritual significance of Navratri and why and how it is observed, the importance of maintaining Hindu customs and values for future generations. Attendees spanned generations—from elders who carried these traditions from the villages of Guyana, Trinidad, and Suriname, to young Indo-Americans eager to anchor themselves in their cultural roots.
Navratri is not merely a ritualistic observance of nine nights; it is an annual psychological and spiritual reset, according to Pt Munelall. He emphasized that the vanquishing of symbolic demons by Goddess Durga mirrors the internal struggles every individual face against ego, anger, greed, and delusion (moha). The atmosphere inside the pandal was electric, charged by soul-stirring congregational singing (kirtan) led by Panditji and accompanying musicians. Renditions of traditional classics and praise for the nine forms of the Goddess brought entire families to their feet, swaying in unison under bright festive lights, floral displays, and most beautiful decorations, the like of which not seen in most mandirs.
Dr. Vindya Persaud, Minister of Social Security, visited the mandir during the service and addressed the gathering amidst wide applause.
At the conclusion, there was aartee. Worshippers flocked Pt. Munelall as well as Dr. Vindya for photos.
Pt Munelall had a repeat on Wednesday Oct 14 evening at Sundar Gopal with an even larger congregation virtually flowing out of the mandir.
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