(Trinidad Express) Every Hindu temple will receive TT$5,000 this year for Divali celebrations.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Ramona Ramdial, disclosed this on Monday during a deya-lightning event at the San Fernando Hill, held each year in the run up to Divali which will be celebrated on November 13.
Ramdial also launched the ministry’s solar-lighting initiative during the function.
She said last year, money was given to the governing bodies of churches, temples and mosques for the celebrations of Eid-ul-Fitr, Divali and Christmas.
This year, all members of Parliament are expected to get a list of all the churches, temples and mosques in their area so that grants could be distributed directly to them to ensure “no one would be left out.”
Ramdial said the grants would be given through the Office of the Prime Minister Sports and Cultural Fund.
She said mosques were funded the same amount for Eid-ul-Fitr, and a similar amount would be given to churches for their Christmas celebrations.
Government is trying to promote cultural tourism through the distribution of the grants, she said.
Ramdial said cultural tourism “is one of the attractions in terms of how the tourist sector has developed over the years globally. Tourists visit other countries for their cultural diversity and to be part of the cultural activities around the world. Trinidad is looking to follow that step in promoting tourism by assisting groups in their cultural activities like Divali.”
Ramdial said solar lighting will also be introduced to Palmiste Park in San Fernando.
She said, ” We are trying to move away from the use of fossil fuels energy to renewable energy and therefore the solar lighting aspect of it is very important. It is a first start for government in supporting the renewal-energy initiative.”
