Hinduism in Guyana

Definition

Hinduism in Guyana is the style of practicing Hinduism that developed among the indentured workers who settled in Guyana starting in 1838. This distinctive style of Hindu practice is also now found among the Caribbean immigrants in North America.

Introduction

Guyana is situated on the northeast coast of South America. The coastal plain is waterlogged, and much of the rest of the country is covered by a thick tropical forest. The three formidable rivers of the Essequibo, the Demerara, and the Berbice divide the coast into four distinct territories. The capital city of Georgetown is on the Demerara in the center of the coastal area.

Spanish explorers visited the country in the fifteenth century, but it was Dutch settlers in the seventeenth century that realized the potential of the coastal plain for agriculture. They brought in African slaves and developed a system of canals, sluices, and a seawall that drain the area during low tide and hold the water out during high tide....