Dear Editor,
One group of Guyanese from New York and another from London have just returned from India where they observed Diwali celebrations and visited religious shrines. A few Trinis, Americans and British were among the 69 individuals from London and New York who made the journey to discover India. Legendary Guyanese broadcaster, Eshri Singh, and Bankim Gossai who was recently honored by Queen Elizabeth were among the tourists. The tour was organized by Ramesh Kalicharran, formerly of Bush Lot, Essequibo Coast. Kalicharran runs the Queens-based Kali Tours and Travels which is the only West Indian travel agency to be accredited by the government of India as a tour operator. Kali, himself, has received several awards from the Indian Tourist Board for promoting tourism to India.
The recent trip included spirituality, entertainment, sight seeing (of monuments, forts, relics, palaces, Taj Mahal, mosque in the sea, etc.), tribute to Mahatma Gandhi with a visit to the eternal flame at Raj Ghat (Gandhi’s crematorium), and shopping. The group was also entertained by personalities from Bollywood including performances by a live band. Group members said they had a wonderful time on board the Air India flight as well in India itself. Group members said the trip was special for them because Kali went all out to please them and his contacts at various cities made their entrance at historic sites easy. They described their experience as fulfilling having experienced places where many of their ancestors came from.. They noted that everywhere they went, the local people were nice, warm, friendly, pleasant.
In an interview, Eshri Singh said the entire journey was fabulous. “The flight from JFK to Delhi was fantastic. Air India gave the best in flight service, excellent meal, first class drinks, movies, music and English reading materials. It was a glamorous welcome in Delhi with the traditional mala or garland. The hotels were first class and the bus fully air-conditioned. I felt great being in India. It was an emotional trip. I felt proud of what I saw. India is a fantastic country with so much to see. I am impressed by the diverse culture. The architectural design mesmerized the tourists. Parts of the cities make you feel you are in a first world country.. The food was great. People were so warm welcoming us everywhere. They heard we are a very devotional people and came out to see us pray at various places. I felt so good to be in the land of my parents. It was a heavenly feeling”.
This was Eshri’s first trip to India. His parents came to Guyana as indentured servants from Benaras, U.P. Eshri said he performed prayers at the banks of the Ganges River for his deceased parents and wife who passed away last July. “I lit a deya and placed it in the river and watched it floated away. It was very emotional because my parents had talked about India and here I was experiencing my ancestral homeland”.
Eshri celebrated his sixtieth year in broadcasting in India. He was able to meet a broadcasting legend like himself in India, Ameer Sahani, who has completed fifty years in broadcasting. Sahani was a regular feature on All India Radio. Eshri said it was an honor for him to meet Sahani and the two exchanged pleasantries and their experiences in broadcasting.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
