City University of New York (CUNY) City University of New York (CUNY)

CUNY Academic Works CUNY Academic Works

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects CUNY Graduate Center

6-2024

The Migration of South Asians from India to Guyana: The Journey, The Migration of South Asians from India to Guyana: The Journey,

Struggles in a New Land, Reasons for Changes Over Time and Struggles in a New Land, Reasons for Changes Over Time and

Their Cultivation of a New Culture. Their Cultivation of a New Culture.

Cynthia C. Harry

The Graduate Center, City University of New York

THE MIGRATION OF SOUTH ASIANS FROM INDIA TO GUYANA: THE JOURNEY,

STRUGGLES IN A NEW LAND, REASONS FOR CHANGE OVER TIME AND THEIR

CULTIVATION OF A NEW CULTURE

by

A master’s thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Liberal Studies in partial

fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts,

The City University of New York

CYNTHIA HARRY

iii

by

Cynthia Harry

Liberal Studies in satisfaction of the thesis requirement

for the degree of Master of Arts.

Approved: April 2024

David T. Humphries, Advisor

David T. Humphries, Acting Executive Officer

April, 2024

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They were under a five-year contract and had to work on the sugar plantations for the duration of

their indentureship. While they tried to persist their Indian culture, assimilation in their new

a new and unique culture.

HH Kadamba Kanana Swami.

and for constantly pushing and encouraging me to write beyond my capacity. It has been such a

I would like to thank everyone above for their constant support, encouragement, and love

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Chapter 4: Settling in a New Place, Indentureship, and Difficulties in Their Environment...…...18

Chapter 5: Racism and Politics……………………………………………………………..……31

Chapter 6: Changes in Culture, Clothing, Foods, and Entertainment……………….………..…39

* Holi In India……………………………………………………………...…….48

* Phagwah In Guyana*……………………………………………………….…49

* Phagwah In New York*………………………………….………………….…50

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many individuals are familiar with the country. Guyana is a country of many waters, resources,

cultures and people, who have tirelessly worked throughout the years to break out of the shackles

of its enslaved past. One of these ethnic groups are the Indo Guyanese people, who migrated to

Guyana in 1838 through a system called indentureship as an attempt to flee their economic and

ecological circumstances in India. Even though indentureship was challenging, to say the least,

the Indo Guyanese people were able to persevere and rise above all of their sufferings and pain.

Incorporating what they already knew with what they learned in their new land, they were able to

Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan, who worked very closely with U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

The country is especially known for its historical contributions to the West Indian cricket team,

with legendary Guyanese cricketers like Lance Gibbs, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Clive Lloyd,

actor/comedian Ram John Holder also hail from Guyana. The music of many Guyanese singers

caste system. As expected, they neglected to relay the conditions of traveling to the new land and

the territory which would come with life on the plantations in Guyana. The Indians would soon

face a brutality they had not imagined, a slave system disguised as “indentureship.” At a chance

for change and a better life, the Indians jumped at this opportunity and ran from their living

conditions, poverty, famine, and diseases.

1837-1838, a famine was spread across North India, which was later established as the Agra

Famine of 1837-1838. The famine spread across 25,000 square miles and affected over 8 million

affected areas. On January 1,1838, Governor-General Lord Auckland declared a famine and

began a tour of the areas which were severely affected to try and assist the suffering people.

When he visited the affected areas, he described the circumstances as distressing and said that

depopulation of the country by starvation and emigration” (Sharma 339). The unfathomable

and to maintain the government’s appearance in the press. Their assistance did not relieve the

plight of working or lower caste people.

families under these circumstances. They had adequate capital and were able to keep their profits

up while middle class or lower-class merchants did not have that luxury. Upper class merchants

were able to feed their families because they used their saved rations to trade for grains (Sharma

340). The remaining affected people had no alternatives to survive under the dreadful conditions

and eventually had to seek other means of survival. With these given circumstances, the affected

Indians were unable to earn wages and starved, resulting in their decisions to move to Guyana.

By Indians deciding to emigrate, Lord Auckland could relay that he helped his subjects.

countries, except for in Bengal (Kolkata), India (Claeson 2). Indians in Jessore were dying and

could not recover from the disease due to the government’s failure to assist them. The working-

and lower-class Indians did not have the means to isolate themselves until they recovered due to

to rapidly spread. They also could not afford medical treatment and the government was only

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1800s. Leprosy infected over 120,000 Indians, not including those of a working or lower class

who could not afford to receive treatment from institutional facilities and be documented. The

Indians who did receive treatment were upper class Indians and they were able to be treated

because they had the monetary resources, space, and were strong assets to the British Empire in

India (Sharma 250). Once certain Indians were of service to the crown, it was beneficial for the

British to ensure that those individuals were treated so that the British would continue to have

support to rule India. The poor Indians were of no use to the British and received no assistance

from the government. Many of these Indians lived in confined and small spaces and were able to

easily contract and spread leprosy. Living in the same spaces as an individual/s who already had

leprosy and not having access to clean water or the means to sterilize their environments, these

lower caste Indians who were affected by the plague, the government did not believe that they

needed medical or rational care. In addition to the plague, in the early 1800s, an outbreak of

malaria attacked India. It rapidly spread through the water and because people had no choice,

areas and people with clean water pumps or rations. Many affected Indians hoped that the

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polluted water.

malaria. In an attempt to assist the struggling Indians, a committee dedicated to cleaning water

pumps and drains in India was formed in 1841 (Claeson 3). However, by then, many Indians

were already dead or disease ridden; and the committee, like the government, focused on fixing

water pumps in the areas where upper class Indians lived. This did not improve the quality of

water in the areas of the Indian people of a lower class. The Indians continued to fall sick and

could not afford treatment causing many to die.

Indians who were aware of their fate quickly jumped at the opportunity to move to places like

turmoil. During the 18

worldwide, but by the 19

century, they had lost their place in the market, which drove the

country into a recession. They went from producing an average of 25% of the materials to barely

deindustrialization progressed throughout India, the poverty level in India began to rapidly rise.

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resulted in Britain having the upper hand in controlling the movement of Indians.

century, there was a decrease in Indian manufactured productivity, which resulted in a lack of

jobs and inflation. The reduction of agricultural productivity took jobs away from farmers; and

since farmers were working class people of a lower caste, they had no other means of earning

wages to provide for their families As Indians continued to lose their sources of income, many

families had to give up their homes because they could not afford to pay their mortgages; this

eventually led to them living on the streets. Some Indians grew so poor that they could not afford

to buy food to sustain their health and bodies. To try and make ends meet, many people reverted

to borrowing, which left families deep in debt and unable to recover (Clingingsmith 1). Some

provide for their families. The Indians, however, were aware that had they stayed in India, they

would eventually die from famine, disease, or poverty. Even those from higher castes, who were

able to borrow during these economic hardships, were forced to emigrate because they were

convincing to set sail to a new land called British Guiana, which is what the British named the

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journey. In January of 1838, the Whitby and Hesperus ships set sail to British Guiana with

shiploads of Indians, some of whom would never make it to land and more than half of whom

would never make their way back to India (Persaud 1). Initially, all Indians on these ships

intended on returning home to their families who were awaiting their support, but they had no

idea how difficult it would be to get back home to India. This journey which these Indians

embarked upon, unknown to them, would be the start of a change in the course of Indian

diaspora forever.

only attest for the Indians who were officially documented and granted access to the ships. Some

Indians were able to sneak onto the boats and make the journey all the way to Guyana, which

also means that undocumented Indians who died on the ships were not accounted for.

undocumented. The government made life in India so unbearable that the Indians would rather

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better and manageable life. Documented Indians who boarded the ships signed a five-year

contract, which stated that they were to work on the plantations for five years for small, fixed

wages (Mangar 2). The Indians were grateful for this opportunity because they were not

receiving any work or funds in India during that time period. However, they were unaware that

the British had underlying intentions about how they would utilize the Indians once they arrived

in Guyana.

convince them to emigrate to Guyana as indentured servants. Those who were uneducated and

saw no hope in a life in India did not need much convincing, but educated Indians were skeptical

about the contracts and the journey to Guyana. To convince these Indians, the British promised

and they had no idea that they would be treated as slaves. The British had no intentions of

fulfilling such promises because they were not sure that the Indians would even survive the trip

to the new land; and even if they made it to land, they British knew that they would be able to

survive in a new land, they would have to abide by the rules of the British regardless of how

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initial ships were wooden and made from teak, it was difficult to sail across the ocean because

the ships were heavy. Due to the weight of the ships, the travel time was maximized, risking the

spread of diseases and a chance of high mortality rates. Being that the ships were wooden and

manual, there was no precise estimation of arrival, which meant that the crew could run out of

rations at any time. The ships were very small and could only house a limited number of

individuals. Since many undocumented Indians boarded the ships, there was not enough room

for everyone and they were tightly packed next to each other for the entire journey (Babydeen

88). With so many bodies unaccounted for on the ships and a long travel time, it is obvious that

there would not be sufficient rations for everyone.

Indians were undocumented, there were not enough rations for everyone and similar to their lives

in India, some Indians went hungry for several days. Being in confined such tight spaces, the

Indians shared their food with each other, despite their circumstances, which helped to bond on

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problems, and food throughout the journey to ease their burden. After relying on each other, the

Indians naturally developed a bond with each other, despite their castes and religions, which was

something they could not have done had they stayed in India.

diseases to spread amongst the people on the ship. Those who already carried strains of bacteria,

passed their illnesses on to others in the ship, which led to many individuals contracting diseases

such as cholera (Babydeen 88). Most Indians who died on the ships were thrown overboard but

for some time, they were left amongst the living, which gave rise to more illnesses on the ships.

Those, whose immune systems could not withstand these illnesses, died on the journey.

such long periods of time. Many had motion sickness or were seasick because they were not

accustomed to traveling by water for such long periods of time and did not know how to combat

the chambers, only further contributed to seasickness. The heavy tides and unpredictable water

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flogged and punished.

corporal punishment, and if they rebelled, they were often beaten so severely that some died. If

they asked for food or the time or complained about feeling sick, they were beaten savagely

(Babydeen 101). Many women were often sexually abused and raped for the pleasure of the crew

members (Chatterjee 97-124). Violating the Indian women was how the crew entertained

themselves during the long voyage. This was similar to the treatment slaves received during

slavery.

and they had no escape. To mask the pain and keep themselves entertained during the long

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women often resulted in severe allegations by their partners, which caused further hardships for

them. When indentureship initially began, there was a ratio of about three women to every 100

men, which caused the Indian men to compete for the attention of those women. This started

riots amongst the men on the plantations. With women being scarce, the attention they were

given caused their partners to accuse them of infidelity, which at times led to these women

getting abused and sometimes killed (Roopnarine 176). These circumstances were so dangerous

that the colonizers eventually agreed to bring a ratio of 40 women to every 100 men, but since it

was difficult to convince women to leave India, they had to settle on a ratio of 25 women to

every 100 men.

women on the plantations, there were several violent outbreaks amongst the Indian men on the

plantations. If an Indian woman was married, men still competed for her attention (Roopnarine

178). This resulted in Indian women being accused of infidelity and getting severely beaten by

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made advances toward their Indian women. They had no voice then, and did not dare to fight

back against their “technical” owners; had they fought back, they would face severe punishment

(Chatterjee 282). When Indian women were sexually abused by Europeans, their Indian

husbands did nothing to defend them. Instead, their husbands beat them because that was how

they relieved the frustration of having another man sexually abuse their women. Indian women

had no one to defend them and were often the victims of multiple sufferings and punishment.

Under these circumstances, the Indian women had to start defending themselves. However, when

they spoke up against their abuse, their queries were frequently disregarded (Chatterjee 71).

Although they would eventually rise above and break through the gender stereotypes they carried

from India, this was a period of endurance.

Several women testified and claimed that the doctor would rape them and then chain them up for

several days after without proper nourishment (Chatterjee 111). Even though numerous women

testified, the “commissioners report found the charges made against Dr. Holman” to be false

as innocent but foolish. This proved that even if the Indians, especially the women, fought back

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faced discrimination when it came to the allocation of work and earned wages. Even though

many women executed the same tasks as men, they were paid much less (Chatterjee 140). If a

woman happened to be married, her earnings would be deposited into her husband’s account,

leaving them with no earnings. Without any earnings, women were unable to live independently

and freely, which was why some women migrated to Guyana in the first place. However, this did

not stop the Indian women to persevere and work toward gaining their freedom and

independence.

break themselves out of gender stereotypes and the caste system they conformed to in India,

which is something they would not have been able to do had stayed in India. They continued to

exposed and have choices, which would not be possible for them had they stayed in India. They

were able to freely choose their husbands, which is not a choice they had in India as many

they were able to marry men of higher castes, which was unheard of in India. This allowed

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system amongst Indians in Guyana, entirely.

were also able to break some of the gender stereotypes. They were able to work, earn, and

provide for themselves, just as men. This threatened the men on the plantation, especially the

married ones. Since many women had gained financial and social independence, their husbands

could no longer keep them “obedient and dutiful to her husband's and family's needs rather than

her own. The men felt threatened by the loss of control and authority within the family and social

relations outside it, as well as the open ways in which women expressed their individuality”

(Chatterjee 250). Since husbands were unable to accept that their wives were capable, strong and

independent, this caused many marriages to end in divorce. Women were also able to initiate a

job stability, it is evident that Indian women proved themselves to be resilient and strong-willed.

Even though it was extremely difficult, they were able to persevere and rise above their painful

journey.

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stoicism. They survived a rigorous and long journey on the ships without proper nourishment,

healthcare, and accommodations. Once they landed in Guyana, they were placed in their

designated colonies and expected to work tirelessly under brutal conditions. They were unable to

express any level of freedom and were completely dependent on the British in this new land,

opposed to what they were promised in Indian before their departure. They strategically

complied with the regulations and endured the mistreatment of the British planters until they

were able to develop enough to revolted as a unit.

believed would only last a period of five years, lasted over 31 years before they were able to

from them over the years. “A serious confrontation between workers and police at Leonora

plantation in August 1869 had been preceded… by months of workers’ grievances and

discontent over the arbitrary cutting of wages, contract violation, overwork and other

parliament commission was created to investigate the situation on the plantations.

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plantations and many other riots started to break out. A few of these riots took place on

“plantations Farm, Chateau, Margot, Success, Mon Repos, La Jalousie, Gladstone Hall, Utivlugt,

and Nonareil” (Auerbach 1670-1). Indians had found their voices and could no longer succumb

to the authority of the British. In 1872, a riot broke out where the Indian laborers demanded that

they receive fair allocations of daily tasks, shorter work hours, and larger wages. They also spoke

out against ill treatment and demanded better working and living conditions. During this riot,

five Indian laborers died and a majority were extremely injured.

did not sympathize with the Indians. In response to the riots, the commission decided that

“although not without its flaws,” the British regulations and methods had a “civilising effect” on

improvements on the plantations. The riots continued from the 1890s through the early 1900s.

There were countless picketing, work protests and violent marches throughout the plantation

of the plantation owners or managers. During these retaliations, many laborers were injured and

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many Indian laborers. The “British colonial police killed fifteen, including a woman they shot in

the stomach, and injured another thirty-nine, seriously enough to warrant amputations.” (Bahadur

2) This carnage did not stop the Indians from protesting. Many Indians were willing to risk their

lives if it would help the Indians in Guyana to break free from the shackles of the British. Over

the next four years, the Indians continued to riot and rebel whenever the opportunity struck.

indentureship was terminated in 1917. The Indians in Guyana were finally free from the chains

of indentureship after 79 years of endurance and rebellion. In 1838, many Indians agreed to

migrate because the British claimed that the Indians would have freedom in Guyana, which

was something they did not have in India. The British promised them a life filled with freedom,

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Racism and Politics

Guyana during the late 16th century, they renamed the country British Guiana and remained in

power until 1966. When the Dutch invaded and introduced slaves onto the Guyanese plantations

in 1620, the government was able to produce sugar, gaining them political recognition. The

British government was able to produce even a larger volume of sugar once they took control of

the government in Guyana. They imported more slaves onto the plantations so that they would be

able to produce more sugar and earn more revenue for the crown. This helped the crown to

become even stronger than it already was.

obtain full emancipation (Harding 280). The rebellion, famously known as the Demerara

Rebellion of 1823, was crushed and about two hundred to five hundred slaves were killed. The

large number of Africans killed during this rebellion influenced the abolishment of slavery in

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both the “free” slaves and the indentured servants, the British used the divide and conquer tactic

to do so. They convinced each group that the other was a threat to their resources, which created

tension between Indians and Africans in Guyana. This tension remained constant throughout the

history of Guyanese politics.

British, lingered in Guyana despite the emancipation of slavery and the end of indentureship.

When the British introduced indentured servants after the emancipation of slaves onto the

plantations in Guyana, they consciously created a division of labor amongst the Africans and

Indians in order to remain in control, produce maximum labor, and earn revenue. They placed

“Africans in the factory and Indians in the field,” leading to the development of “two distinct

were “more thrifty or ambitious than Africans,” which led to Africans fearing that “Indians will

come to dominate the economy and politics of Guyana” and “that Indians may use their power to

set up… a system based on…race.” (Landis 438) They presented the Africans to the Indians as a

and political resources and positions, which made it seem like the Africans would forcefully strip

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division amongst Indians and Africans in Guyana.

competing with each other for so long, both groups of people were unable to coexist without

racial influences and segregation. By then, this way of life was normal and it was the only

way each group of people believed that they would secure their lands, jobs, and resources in

Guyana. This behavior was even blatantly showcased in politics, which further influenced racial

disturbances between Indo and Afro Guyanese people. Even when Africans and Indians retained

political power, this mentality lingered.

political party, named People’s Progressive Party (PPP), was formed. The Party consisted of an

used the relationship of Janet and Cheddi Jagan, who were married, to once again divide the

people. They claimed that the Jagans were making the country communist, which eventually led

to the British suspending the constitution. Tension started to arise once again amongst the

own congress called the People’s National Congress (PNC), which was a predominantly Afro

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Pradesh, 1% from Punjab and Haryana, 1% from Rajasthan, and 2% from other parts of India,

not including Mumbai (The Long Journey 1). These Indians also varied in castes and professions.

Being able to coexist despite being from different castes, such as Kurmi, Ahir, Thakur, and

Brahmin castes, Indian farmers, artisans, merchants, priests, cooks, etc. were able to combine

their culture, knowledge, and skills to unite and create a rich Indo Guyanese heritage.

the available resources. Although some dishes remained the same, in both Indian and Indo

Guyanese cuisines, due to limited products in Guyana, the dishes slightly changed in Indo

they limited in provisions, but they were limited in kitchen tools, leading to the modification of

certain foods, such as sal sev, otherwise known as chicken foot in Guyana. Although sal sev is

made in various sizes in India, it is only made in one size in Guyana. Due to these restrictions

41

coriander seeds, blackened peppercorns, and some other spices” on the ships, they were unable

to include other spices which Indians include in their various masalas (Mehta 2). The Indians in

Guyana were only able to include the spices they brought on the ship when making their masala,

which led to them having only one type of masala. However, by being in Guyana, the Indo

Guyanese population was able to learn about different seasonings from the other populations in

Guyana, which they have incorporated in their dishes today. They include a number of native

Guyanese seasonings in their curries, such as the famous green seasoning, which is unique to

prepare dishes and use cooking techniques they brought from India. When cooking curries, they

the Indians integrated their Hindi words with the English language (Mangru 27).

recipes into their diet. They were able to incorporate African, Amerindian, Chinese, and

by the Amerindians, has become a country favorite during the holidays. Provisions, or boiled and

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everyone in Guyana.

cuisine to create new dishes. One such dish is a rice-based dish called cook-up, which is a blend

of both African and Indian cooking styles. This is an African inspired dish, which consists of

left-over scraps such as beans, meat, rice, etc. (Muttoo 2). When Indians arrived in Guyana, they

combined this recipe with their recipe of Khichri, add split peas to the dish, and came up with a

soupy version of cook-up. This hearty and nutritious dish helped the Africans and Indians to

work long hours on the plantations.

are unique to Guyana. Taking inspiration from the many cultures in Guyana, foods like dhal puri,

have been able to combine their Indian culture with the other cultures in Guyana to cultivate

tasty dishes which are unique to the country.

Indian attire. Although Indo Guyanese people do wear traditional Indian attire, living under

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adapt to western fashion because clothing was being provided to them by the plantation owners.

The country’s climatic conditions also influenced the Indians to adapt to western attire; western

clothing, like dresses, vests, and shorts, have helped the Indo Guyanese people to remain cool.

Another reason for adapting to western dress was their occupations. Since British influence was

heavy in Guyana, a majority of the schools and occupations required western attire (Caribbean

1). They were also seen as educated and cultured if they dressed in western attire when they

attended school or had work conferences. In many instances, if they wore cultural attire, they

were not accepted in certain places and were seen as unrefined. In Guyana today, people

still dress in western attire, unless they are celebrating special traditional occasions.

native dress, which for the women consists of a wrapped apron adorned with beads and feathers

and a stylish loincloth adorned with frills for the men. Being exposed to all types of dress, the

Guyanese population was able to develop a very diverse sense of fashion.

continue to wear traditional Indian clothing whenever the occasion permits them to. Indian attire

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etc.; and the women are adorned in traditional Indian styled jewelry such as heavy anklets, called

payals, heavy earrings, called jhumkas, and bindis, which are placed between their eyebrows

(Mangru 29). Many women also add flowers to their hair, which is something prominent in

India. The attire is the same when prayers are being conducted and like in India, it is expected

that women cover their heads using their scarves, which in Guyana is called an orhni (a hindi

word).

occasions, opposed to it being worn every day in India. In Guyana, Indians had to conform to

western dress because had they worn traditional attire, they would not be seen as educated or

cultured by the British. However, when the different populations in Guyana gathered to celebrate

people of Guyana together. The addition of Indian tempo and melody and African drums and

rhythm helped to enrich the country’s music genres. The assimilation of African and Indian

music styles led to the development of music genres like soca and calypso, which are prominent

music in Guyana include chutney, chutney-soca, and folk music, which were inspired by the

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The use of Indian Instruments such as dholaks, harmoniums, kartals, and tassa drums is used to

create an upbeat tempo, which can be clearly heard in chutney music.

cultivation of chutney music in Guyana. The Indian couple, Kanchan and Babla, fused Hindi

lyrics with African and Indian instruments, like the drums, to create many iconic chutney songs,

which are played by all Indo Caribbean populations today (Battacharjee 1). Some popular songs

from the duo include Kaise Bani and Kucch Gadbad Hai. On the other hand, Terry Gajraj created

chutney songs with English lyrics and the use of Indian melodies and instruments. Like many

other singers in Guyana, Gajraj’s English lyrics stem from the colonizers’ English language.

struggles. Folk songs created an outlet for the Africans and Indians in Guyana to relieve their

frustrations and allowed them to be able tell their stories and struggles. This not only fostered

unity among them, but it allowed each community to share a part of their histories. This allowed

other.

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were exposed to a variety of film industries, with Bollywood being the most popular. During the

early days after indentureship, Guyanese people were first exposed to silent English films; and

then later exposed to English-speaking films, which further exposed them to American and

European culture, leading to an overall change in the way people dressed, spoke, and behaved in

Guyana. During the mid-1930s, Hindi cinema was introduced to Guyana, which provided the

Indo Guyanese people “a direct link to the cherished but otherwise remote homeland” (Manuel

22). These movies had no subtitles and by then, a majority of the Indians in Guyana spoke only

English and understood only a few Hindi words. Nevertheless, the people enjoyed the cultural

movies and icons because it created a direct connection to India. Some of the mainstream

Bollywood actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman,

York City, they were able to survive and prosper. During the 1960s, Guyana received

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an opportunity to further enhance their education and resources. Indians in Guyana who were

able to afford to migrate, took the opportunity and migrated to places like New York City,

hoping to have better opportunities for themselves and their families, sufficient healthcare, and to

further enhance their studies and attain better jobs.

again, give up their homes and adjust to living in a new environment. Because the Indo

Guyanese population had already gone through migration from India, re-emigration only created

a stronger sense of loyalty, “commitment, belonging, and identity to Guyana” amongst the Indo

Guyanese population (Matera et al. 13). In addition to the hardships they faced in their new

environments during re-emigration, the Indo Guyanese community had to work harder to

celebrated holidays by Indians in India, Guyana, and New York City. During these holidays,

Hindus, across the world, fast and cook lavish vegetarian dishes to offer to their respective Gods.

light candle-like lamps (diyas) throughout their entire homes after sunset because they believe

48

night of Diwali, their homes can be seen illuminated with diyas.

been celebrated by Hindus throughout India for centuries. It represents love and the triumph of

good over evil and is celebrated to commence the spring season. The celebration of the festival

consists of the retelling of its religious connotations, the playing of colored powders and the

lighting of large bonfires. Although the festival was initially celebrated in only India, it has

found its way to places all over the world, like Guyana and New York City. However, the

festival’s religious connotations and traditions were modified in order to accommodate the

assimilation of its Hindu celebrators when they migrated from India to places like Guyana and

then again when they re-migrated to places like New York City.

for a duration of six weeks. The Hindu residents celebrate enthusiastically by retelling and

reenacting the religious stories of how the festival started, lighting large bonfires and painting

to Lord Krishna and his eternal consort, Srimati Radharani to show their affection for them.

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narrative revolves around Lord Krishna and his desire to match the golden complexion of Srimati

Radharani during His childhood years. In an attempt to fulfill this desire, His mother, Yashoda

Maiya, instructed Radharani to color Krishna’s face with any color She desired (Sharma 1).

When Radharani did as instructed, the two started playing with the colors and that was the

beginning of the celebration of Holi by playing with colored powders.

Demon King, Hiranyakashipu, tries to kill his son, Prahlada, a number of times because his son

was a disciple of Hiranyakashipu’s enemy, Lord Vishnu (Sharma 1). Hiranyakashipu tricked

Prahlada into sitting on the lap of his sister, Holika, who could not be harmed by fire, in a huge

bonfire with the hopes of killing Prahlada. However, due to Prahlada’s piety and dedication to

assimilate to their new environments. Since Guyana is a tropical country, the celebration of

Phagwah no longer represented the beginning of the spring season to Indians in Guyana. The

celebration was also modified to fit the laws in Guyana and work schedules of Indo Guyanese

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