On Tuesday, September 10th, 2024, Their Excellencies Christine Carla Kangaloo O.R.T.T., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and Kerwyn Garcia SC, First Gentleman, attended the 35th Annual Ganesh Utsav Celebration at the Vishwanath Mandir in Sangre Chiquito. The event was officiated by Dharmaputa Pundit Doodnath Rampersad.
Ganesh Utsav, or Ganesh Chaturthi, is a significant 10-day festival in the Hindu calendar, celebrating the manifestation of the Supreme Reality as Lord Ganesha, the beloved son of Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati. Devotees craft and worship an image of Lord Ganesha, who is honored as a cherished guest in their homes and hearts. This celebration involves puja (worship), prasad (sacred food), song, and dance, culminating in the immersion of the image in a sacred body of water during the Visarjan ritual.
In his message, Pundit Doodnath Rampersad urged devotees to cherish life and the time they have, to be mindful of their desires, and to remember that they are “thrice blessed, multiplied by the grains of sand upon the seashore.” He emphasized that lost opportunities may never return and that love for God should be expressed through service to humanity and that none of us is better than the other.
These messages should serve to guide all of us in our everyday lives.
