TENERIFE, CANARY ISLANDS, December 15, 2007: A tropical enclave in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morroco, the Canaries are an African archipelago forming an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain. Its seven volcanic islands host what is proportionally the greatest Hindu population in Spain, according to Gope Bhagwandas Mahtani, Consul-General of India.
“We came slowly,” explains the Consul. “We were traders, making business in Africa, when Tangier was an international port. In the 50s and 60s the islands were not yet well known, but after the war affecting the Suez Canal we became an outpost and the islands began to get a lot of fame. Hindus have been here all along,” he says.
“Certainly ours is a silent community, of working men and family-oriented customs, little inclined to appear in the media,” he adds. Last July, Bhagwandas Mahtani was appointed Dean of Consuls in the Canaries capital city, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, becoming a spokesperson for all local international communities. “People know that the Hindu community is peaceful and does not get into the affairs of others,” he ponders.
The Consul also says that little has changed in their Hindu identity since arriving on the islands. “We continue to maintain our culture. Hopefully our children also will.”