Hinduism is the leading single religion of the Indo-Caribbean communities of the West Indies. Hindus are particularly well represented in Trinidad and Tobago, where they represented 25 percent of the total population, as of 1995. Smaller groups of Indo-Caribbeans live elsewhere in the Caribbean, especially Jamaica, Barbados, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Hinduism in Trinidad

A decade after slavery was abolished in 1834, the British government gave permission for the colonies to import indentured labor from India to work on the plantations. Throughout the remainder of the century, Trinidad's population growth came primarily from East Indian laborers. By 1871 there were 27,425 East Indians, approximately 22 percent of the population of Trinidad and Tobago; by 1911 that figure had grown to 110,911, or about 33 percent of all residents of the islands.

As in Guyana, caste distinctions are all but forgotten among Trinidadian Hindus. In the plantation housing, it was not possible to maintain extended households even if the kin were available. Considerations of caste became less important in choosing a spouse largely because there

The major Hindu organisation in Trinidad is the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha led by Satnarayan Maharaj. The Hindu festivals of Divali and Phagwah are widely celebrated in Trinidad.

See also

• Indo-Caribbean
  • Indo-Trinidadian
• Hinduism in South America

References

• This article contains public domain material from the Library of Congress Country Studies on Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana (1995).