Category: Features

Guyanese-American journalist Gautra Bahadur on Tuesday evening detailed the conditions endured by female indentured immigrants as she brought the curtains down on the Culture Ministry’s Commemorative Lecture Series on the arrival of Indians in Guyana. Before revealing the harsh conditions endured by Indian women who journeyed to Guyana, Bahadur said she has visited not only Guyana but India in a quest to excavate the truth on not only the conditions endured, but the significant roles played by women in the development of Guyana during this era. As she addressed the…

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By Ravendra Madholall – The University of the West Indies (UWI) bestowed its prestigious annual Luminary Award on two outstanding Caribbean personalities at the recent gala fundraising event in Toronto. Both recipients, Guyanese Dr. Budhendra Doobay and former world boxing champ Lennox Lewis, expressed gratitude for the honour. Dr. Doobay is currently employed with the Niagara Health System as a surgeon, while Lewis is famed as a professional boxer. Elizabeth Buchanan-Hind, the Director of Advancement with the University, explained that the two awardees were recognised for their achievements and duly…

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Christina Chung finds her calling in making beautiful cakes Overcoming years of self-doubt, cake maker Christina Chung has tapped into her natural talent to become one of newest professional cake decorators on the local scene. Although not having any formal artistic background or training, Christina is well on her way to becoming one of Guyana’s sought-after cake gurus. In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Christina said she is passionate about creating fun and delicious cakes, which fuels her determination to be successful. “I just love baking. I have…

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At the tender age of six, Nirmala Narine began to cook in a tiny kitchen with no running water and electricity. She was born in Guyana to parents of Indian descent. Her grandfather, an Arya Samaj Hindu pandit, schooled her in the ancient Indian arts of holistic cooking and Ayurvedic living. Her aunt Daisy, an Afro-Guyanese woman, taught Nirmala how to make wonderful West African dishes in a mud oven. The native Arawaks taught her how to make condiments from wild berries and yucca juices, and how to barbecue everything…

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Anti-Indian racism again took its inevitable course into violence in the 1960’s riots as the PNC worked in cahoots with the CIA to remove the PPP from office. The “communist” bogeyman provided cover for the hate that had been nurtured for over a century against Indian-Guyanese. The most terrifying episode in those dark days when Guyana experienced its first bout of “ethnic cleansing” in the Wismar-Christianburg-McKenzie (soon named “Linden” after Burnham) when almost the entire Indian population had to flee. Below are excerpts from the Commission of Inquiry into the…

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Conceived as an innovative way to disseminate and sustain cultural art forms, the Dharmic Sabha’s ‘Kala Utsav’, meaning “festival of arts”, continues to be the launch pad for talented youths from the various regional branches of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha. Over fifteen years ago, it was recognised that there was dwindling interest among the young generation in playing the diverse Indian musical instruments; that knowledge of Hindi and the Ramayan was limited to a minority, and trained classical and folk dancers were fewer in numbers. The idea of a…

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From just 8 years old, Sookrane Boodhoo knew it was her responsibility to maintain the musical heritage she grew to love. Now, she dedicates her life to preserving it and transmitting this to younger generations who share her passion. In an interview with  Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, the artiste said that her formative years in singing began at the La Penitence Mandir, Middle Road. Hearing the kirtan  group singing at her mandir inspired her to join them. “One day I finally gathered the courage to join the group. Gradually I…

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‘Guyanese Finding Roots in India’ by Parsram S. Thakur; Overview of the book by Vake Parsram. By Petamber Persaud – Dr Parsram S. Thakur, Psychology Emeritus Professor from the United States, and more recently Director of University of Guyana Berbice Campus, has recently revised his book “Guyanese finding roots in India”. The book has been revised with a few more families that were originally left out. Dr Thakur has visited India several times, and among those times, with the help of the Immigration Pass (1912) of his grandfather, Ball Mukund,…

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Carlotta Mohamed will soon be a 2013 York College Graduate with a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Journalism. Born in Georgetown, Guyana on July 12, 1990 and raised in Richmond Hill, New York, since she was six years old, Carlotta hopes to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. Carlotta already has some experience in the media field. She did a four-month internship at the Queens Chronicle where she covered issues relating to politics, arts and entertainment, education, crime, and local neighbourhood news. She said: “Growing up, writing was always a…

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