On the day of celebration, observers traditionally wear white clothing and throw harmless coloured water and powder at each other called Abeer or Gulal.  Phagwah is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil.  It can traced back to Hindu lore of the King Hiranyakasyapu who attempted to kill his son, prince Prahlad.  The boy was saved  on each attempt by Lord Vishnu’s blessings.  The King’s sister, Holika (Holi derives from her name) eventually tries to kill the prince as well by leading him into a fire.  According to the lore, Holika was immune to fire, but she perished to ashes and the Prince came out alive.

Phagwah is celebrated on the last full moon of winter,  usually at the end of February or start of March. It also heralds the beginning of spring.  Phagwah will be observed in Guyana on March 19th.

And now for pictures:

President of Guyana, Bharat Jagdeo and Donald Ramoutar playing during Phagwah celebrations last year 2010.

Phagwah in Alexander Village

Easter In Guyana - Kite Flying

Kite Flying has become part of Easter ritual in Guyana and families across the country flock to popular open spaces such as the Kitty Seawall in Georgetown, the National Park and the 63 Beach in Berbice.

If the weather is cooperative, thousands of colorful kites will take to the skies.  Cricket is also widely played during the Guyanese Easter celebrations.

A Vacquero riding a wild bronco during the Rupununi Rodeo during Easter

In Lethem in the Rupununi, the annual rodeo is held during the Easter weekend and shows off the skill of Amerindian cowbows (Vaqueros) featuring horse races, wild bull and bronco riding.

Bartica Regatta

The Bartica Regatta and the Miss Bartica Pageant are also held annually during the Easter weekend and it attracts thousands of the visitors to the mining community in Essequibo.  Regatta features mainly water sports and competition such as jet-skiing and canoe racing.

Food is of course a big part of any Guyanese celebration and there will be lots of it.   In Guyana there are no Easter egg hunts or the concept of the Easter bunny.  The Guyanese food of choice that is unique to the Easter celebrations is “Hot Cross Buns” which is also the name of a British nursery rhyme.   The cross on the buns is supposed to represent the cross on which Jesus Christ died.

Hot cross buns!

Hot cross buns!

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot cross buns.

If ye have no daughters,

Give them to your sons.

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot cross buns.

The present brick structure is located on Water Street and measures 103 feet tall.  It has distinctive red and white strips and is a National Monument of Guyana.

The top of the Light house offers a panaramic view of Georgetown and the Demerara River as shown below:a

At the very top center area of the photo is the Red House which house the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.   Moving down on the right, the Umana Yana.  At the bottom of the photo is the Atlantic Ocean and the Pegasus Hotel with its surrounding buildings and facilities.

It offers both an amazing view of the City and a stunning view of both of the Demerara River and the Atlantic Ocean.   It is the perfect choice for leisure and business travelers to Georgetown Guyana since all the major commercial locations and tourist attractions are located within a 3 mile radius.

Accomodation

A Room in the Pegasus Hotel

The Pegasus hotel offers several room options including Suites and Rooms each designed with comfort and attention to detail.  All the rooms are very spacious and they include the follow amenities:

A Suite in the Pegasus Hotel Guyana

• Air-conditioning
• Complimentary Cable TV
• Mini-bar
• Telephone with International Direct Dialling
• Sitting area
• Writing Desk
• 110V/ 220V electrical sockets
• Non-smoking Rooms
• High-speed Internet access
• Wake-up calls
• Hair dryer
• Iron/ironing board
• In-room safe
• Alarm clock
• Wheelchair accessible
• Best Refrigerators

Food and Dining

The Pegasus offers the best fine dining in Georgetown.  It hotels are four restaurants:  the Browne’s Cafe, the Oasis, the Pool Bar and Grill and the El Dorado.

Pegasus Poolside Bar and Grill

Pegasus Hotel Browne's Cafe

Pegasus Hotel The Oasis

Pegasus Hotel The El Dorado

More Photos of the Pegasus and It’s Facilities

Pegasus Hotel (The Altanic in the background)

Pegasus Hotel Lobby

Diyas are made of mud or clay and shaped by hand or molds. Families in Berbice and Wakenaam have been making diyas for generations to supply stores and individuals. Locally made or fancy imported diyas filled with wax candles, cotton wicks and ghee can be bought from religious stores around the country.

How is Deepavali Celebrated in Guyana?

Deepavali, the festival of lights even today in this modern world is celebrated in the traditional manner. In Guyana, weeks before the actual day, people clean their homes thoroughly, fast and prepare for Lakshmi Puja. Maha Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity, light and wisdom is worshipped at this time. Puja or worship is done by all family members on Diwali night in Hindu homes prior to lighting
the diyas. In fact, the observances occur over a five day period. Two days preceding Diwali, one and then few diyas are lit to pray for longevity and to recognize the victory of Lord Krishna over the despot Narakasur. Many Hindus would also attend their mandirs (temples) on Diwali Day. Mandirs are scattered throughout the country and one can easily attend special Diwali puja wherever they find themselves on that day.

Homes are artistically and tastefully decorated for Diwali. Brightly colored torans (colourful hanging decorations) are hung from doorways. Intricately designed rangolis (coloured tracing with rice and flour) conspicuously placed in yards or entrances would greet visitors as they visit homes to exchange sweets and gifts. The traditional motifs used are considered auspicious and decorative. An Inter-faculty Rangoli competition is held every year a few days before Diwali at the University of Guyana. Huge and elaborate patterns are made on large open spaces with coloured rice, flour and even embellished with glitter dust! Houses twinkle with an abundance of fairy lights creatively draped on every available surface perfectly complimenting rows and rows of tiny diyas strategically placed to remove every tinge of darkness.

There are special streets in some villages where every house is aesthetically lit and large groups of people would be busy lighting
diyas to line the street and bridges of every home. Persons would continuously place the soaked cotton wicks and refill the diyas with oil to keep the lights blazing all through the night. Streets are lined with bamboo structures laden with diyas or festooned with electric lights. Passers by who flock the streets would be sure to receive little boxes or bags of Prasad (holy offering) or sweetmeats from the inhabitants.

Take a drive through Sheriff Street, Campbelville, Lamaha Gardens, Parika on the West Coast of Demerara or along the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara to view fabulously decorated homes. The Festivities for Diwali Perhaps the most spectacular events
which precede Diwali are the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s countrywide motorcades. Many persons travel to Guyana annually to see this one of a kind parade each year. Designers, individuals, the corporate world and temple members would have spent weeks erecting huge, intricately lit steel and wooden structures, meticulously decorated and with flowers, yards of gorgeous fabric, glittering jewelry and elaborate backdrops onto various vehicles and huge low bed trailers. The result – a large number of stunning and breathtaking floats complete with thousands of lights of all kinds, extravagant designs and ornately dressed young people sitting still for hours depicting the various forms of god. The floats crawl slowly along various routes much to the delight of thousands of Guyanese and tourists who throng the roads every year for a glimpse of this fascinating parade. The biggest motorcade held on the eve of Diwali (October 16th) leaves the Shri Krishna Mandir, Campbelville at 6pm, moves from Sandy Babb Street, Kitty into J.B. Singh Road, then along the Seawall Road; the perfect spot to sit and view the floats. With darkness as the perfect backdrop, feast your eyes on the fantastic floats as you enjoy the cool Atlantic breeze of the seawall and then make your way to the LBI Community Centre ground, East Coast Demerara to join thousands there for an entertaining cultural programme of
dances, singing, skits and fashion. Make sure you sample tasty seven curry spreads, spicy achars with phoulori, potato balls and
channa not forgetting an array of sweets to make the mouth water; gulab jamun, barfi, pera. Why not take some home for the
next day!

For those who want the full motorcade experience you can travel to Oceanview, West Coast Demerara, spend the day in Berbice and enjoy motorcades in Upper Corentyne and West Berbice, choose to stay on in Berbice for motorcades at the Albion Sports Complex and Canje Ground or take the ferry to the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground Essequibo for the motorcade there. Whatever you do, you cannot miss the biggest national event at this time of the year.

However, amidst all this frenzy of shopping, decorating and eating, the steady, burning lamp is a constant symbol of an illuminated
mind and the triumph of good over evil.

MASHRAMANI
MASHRAMANI, often referred to as “Mash”, is the equivalent of Guyana’s Carnival and is  an annual festival that celebrates Guyana becoming a sovereign Republic on 23 February 1970. The first Mashramani festival was celebrated on Feb 23rd, 1970 in the mining town  of Linden and has since become a major national annual event . There are spectacular costume competitions, float parades, masquerade bands, and dancing in the streets to the accompaniment of steel band music and calypsos. Masquerades frequent the streets performing acrobatic dance routines, a vivid reminder of Guyana’s African heritage. The Mash Day depicts a hive of activity in Georgetown from Vlissengen Road and lrving Street all the way to the National Park. Thousands of people summon to the streets to participate
in the annual Mashramani celebrations, which has been a part of Guyanese culture for almost 40 years. In 2010, Guyana will celebrate 40 years as a Republic and Mash is expected to be bigger than ever.

PHAGWAH or HOLI – is a Hindu religious holiday observed in March to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. It is also a Spring Festival celebrating the Hindu New Year, the
beginning of another crop, the coming of the rainy season and is popularly known as the festival of colours. Hindus traditionally wear white on Phagwah day and indulge in the  throwing upon each other of a harmless liquid called abeer. Abeer is a red dye which symbolizes the blood of the tyrannical King Hiranya who in Hindu lore ordered that his son Prince Prahalad be burnt to death for defying his wishes. The traditional burning of the ‘Holika’ on the night before is practised as the forerunner to the start of Phagwah day celebrations.

After attending services at the temples in the morning Hindus start their festivities with  the throwing of abeer, powder, perfume, and water on family, friends and neighbours in what is an amusing, goodnatured and joyful celebration. The festival is celebrated across the country by both Hindus and non Hindus and was originally brought to British Guiana by Hindus who arrived as indentured labourers to work on sugar plantations over 170 years ago.
EID UL FITR – Muslims celebrate ‘Eid ul Fitr following the month of Ramadhan (the month of fasting). Following a Lunar calendar, Muslims mark the beginning of the month with the sighting of the new crescent. The month long fasting of
Ramadan culminates into the festival of ‘Eid-ul-Fitr, the Festival of Fast-Breaking.

It is a festival of joy, family reunion and thanksgiving to Almighty God. The giving of a special charity for this occasion is obligatory. This is known as Zakat. Muslims dress in holiday attire, attend a special community prayer in the morning, and
visit friends and relatives. Greetings of “’Eid mubarak,” or “a blessed ‘Eid” are exchanged joyfully. Eid is generally celebrated annually in September at the end of the month of Ramadan which is confirmed with the sighting of the moon according to Muslim tradition.

EASTER – is a Christian religious festival celebrated annually in April. Easter is a very popular time of the year as it symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is a period which always falls over a weekend and generates a lot of activities
and celebrations due to the long weekend always associated with it. On Good Friday all businesses are closed. Easter Sunday and Easter Monday is when all the fun starts. Imagine looking up into the sky andseeing hundreds of kites flying . Kites of all
shapes, sizes and colors buzzing around and dancing to the wind in the skies, all make for a beautiful site. The kite season starts a few days before Easter. The kites are normally flown along the coast of thecountry and on the Sea Wall where the wind is strong and there are no overhead electrical wires. In addition families get together and travel to various parts of the country where they picnic in the parks and along the creeks and rivers.

DIWALI – or “The Festival of Lights” is a Hindu Festival brought by the East Indians and is celebrated annually in October. Diwali is a celebration based on the return from exile of the great Hindu hero Rama as set out in the Ramayana , a holy book
which is often read at Hindu festivals. He was the heir to the throne and was exiled by his father for fourteen years. Diwali celebrates Rama’s return from exile. It is celebrated in October generally and everyone in the Hindu household looks forward to it as Indian sweetmeats to include metai, halwa and other special foods are prepared. Around each house clay cups containing oil and a wick are arranged in beautiful patterns. These cups are called diyas. In the evening the wicks are lit. What a marvellous sight it is to see. People walk and travel around the city and villages to admire all the diyas and decorations. A major attraction today are the elaborate float parades which are unique to Guyana.

CHRISTMAS is a major Christian festival in Guyana. At Christmas time, plans for making the famous “Black Cake” are put into works. “Garlic Pork” is another popular dish at Christmas. Normally a few nights before Christmas, the older folks start going from house to house and sing carols. There are lots of eating and drinking at this time. On Christmas Day there are exchanges of gifts between family members and friends. Churches hold services and the people of the Christian Faith attend. Businesses and
homes are decorated with Christmas lights. It is also a major period of homecoming for Guyanese relatives and friends to visit from overseas making it a grand holiday to stay and welcome the New Year. Major family reunions and social gatherings are the order of the day. In addition the Government has organised the “Main Big Lime” as a major Street Party celebration taking place on all of Main Street in the capital city of Georgetown.

EMANCIPATION DAY – 1st August is celebrated annually as Emancipation Day. It was on 1st August, 1834, that full and finalfreedom was announced for all enslaved Africans throughout the British Caribbean. Out of the abolition came the villages, the struggle of the trade union movement, the opening of the hinterland through the pork knockers, and the evolution of the Civil service and artesian shops. Guyanese of African Heritage have been mobilised through the African Cultural Development Association with the hosting of an annual day of celebration at the National Park in Georgetown. Many people wear traditional African attire and attend an exhibition of historic African lifestyle and culture.

There is African food, singing, dancing and music at the National Park celebrating the heritage of their ancestors.

High Resolution Map of Guyana is shown below.  Click for full sized version.