REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 29 September, 2005: For the first time in the history of Hinduism in Trinidad and Tobago the Shrawani Upakarma, a ceremony for the renewal of brahminical vows, was performed in public. For the past 160 years, this ceremony had been done in private. This year, on the day of the celebration of Raksha Bandhan, more than 70 pundits gathered near the Manzanilla beachfront to perform rituals, chant vedic mantras, sing bhajans and make offerings to Hindu deities, amongst other purification rites. The historic ceremony was conducted by Prof Ramprakash Tiripathi of India. Prof Tiripathi is in Trinidad to train young pundits in the observances and rituals of Hinduism. The pundits were not alone, for many of their family members and friends came to view the proceedings. As part of the rituals, the dhoti-attired pundits walked in procession to the beach and plunged into the waters in atonement for errors/omissions committed during the performance of rites. Near the end of the five-hour marathon ceremony, the pundits placed new Janev threads around their bodies.
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