The Ramoutar family from Lower Mc Bean, Couva
Kerrie Ramoutar is one of the young members of the Lower Mc Bean Ramleela and Cultural Group. She is considered to be a professional dancer with sixteen years of experience behind her. Kerrie has danced with most of the major dance teachers in Trinidad such as Krishna Persad, Michael Salickram and a few others. Having covered just about all of the Indian dance styles like Classical, Chutney, Folk and so on, Kerry feels confident that she is ready to have her own group called the Nritya Dance Company which she will manage from her home in Lower Mc Bean, Couva. Kerry and her parents Celia Nath and Sookram Ramoutar were eager to share some of their personal experiences with Triniview.com.
Interview with Pundit Ravi Maraj – His involvemnt with Ramleela
Pundit Ravi Maraj is a Mc Bean resident by birth and has been involved with the Ramleela celebrations for approximately 20 years, not only in narrating the entire play, but also helping various communities develop their Ramleela. A gifted and engaging storyteller, he sat down with Triniview.com to share his perspective on the Ramleela celebration.
The Ramleela Celebration Told by Pundit Ravi Maraj
The Ramleela celebration really has its genesis taken straight out from the Holy Scripture, the Ramayana. It is set in an age called Treta Yuga. Of course, in Hinduism… in the Hindu traditions we have four ages. We have the Satya Age which is the Golden Age, we have the Dwapara, we have Treta Yuga and we have Kali Yuga, in that order.
Mc Bean Ramleela and Cultural Group celebrates Ramleela
The Mc Bean Ramleela and Cultural Group successfully hosted their Ramleela Celebrations on the same compound of the Lower Mc Bean, Couva Hindu Mandir. The celebrations was held over a period of several nights and culminated on Saturday 3rd October, 2009 with an exciting finale that was well attended. The climax of the evening was the burning of the effigy of Ravana symbolizing the Hindu demon, King Ravan which stood 30 feet high off the ground at one end of the large open air space that was also adorned with other props that were used in the play.
Muslim Wedding in Princes Town
Triniview.com took to the southland, Princes Town to be exact, to witness the union of Duresh Ragoonath and Sophia Mohammed under Muslim rites in Trinidad. The wedding, which took place on September 26, 2009, at the bride’s home, was witnessed by family and friends of the marital pair. The groom, recently converted to Islam from Hinduism, is originally from Plum Mitan, east Trinidad and celebrations also occurred there. View the albums and become familiar with the Princes Town and Plum Mitan areas, see the preparations for the wedding by the bride’s and groom’s families, witness the spectacle of the wedding ceremony and observe the festivities at the reception party.
Fondes Amandes Gayap 2009
The Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation Project (FACRP) hosted their 13th annual Gayap (which means to lend hands) in St. Ann’s Fondes Amandes hills on Friday 20th March, 2009. Geared towards school children, the Gayap involved sensitization towards environment and agriculture and a hands-on tour of the Fondes Amandes project where schools participated in agricultural and environmental activities. Members of the FACRP shared their knowledge and experience with the youngsters ensuring another successful Gayap event.
Remembering Jizelle Salandy
Born Joenette Giselle Ifi Toby on January 25, 1987, in Siparia south Trinidad, Jizelle Salandy was the third and last child of Selwyn Toby and deceased Maureen Salandy-Toby. After the death of her mother, Jizelle Salandy was legally adopted by Curtis Joseph, changing her name to Jizelle Joseph. Her name was later (unofficially) changed for the third time back to Salandy. Jizelle Salandy’s boxing career started at the tender age of eleven and ended at the young age of twenty-one as the number one female light middleweight boxer of all time. She departed as an undefeated world-class female boxing champion.
Hosay in St. James
The commemoration of Hosay is a Shiite Muslim commemoration of the death of Imam Hussein and his brother Hassan (both grandsons of the Prophet Muhammad) at the Battle of Kerbala in Persia, now known as Iraq. The word Hosay comes from the name ‘Hussein’. Elsewhere in the Islamic world, on the day of Ashura, Shiites also commemorate the death of Imam Hussein.