MARTINIQUE, May 9, 2023 (la1ere.francetvino.fr, Google translated from French):The commemoration festivities of the 170th anniversary of the arrival of the Indians in Martinique allow us to better discover the unique aspects of this community. The ritual is not called a ceremony, but a pousset. The officiant, the poussari, prays and makes offerings of fruit, vegetables and coconuts in order to ask for grace from the Deities. Bruno Alimelie has been a Hindu priest for 25 years. He is the third generation of his family after his father and grandfather. “The Hindu priest is there to help people who need something, healing or some kind of help, that’s what I’m here for. I’m destined to be like that. To be a Hindu priest, you have to be in tune with the spirits, you have to have this little something that speaks to you from the inside, in your head, in your heart and which shows what has to be done.”
This temple is dedicated to the Goddess Mariamman, the queen mother, who heals diseases. She is accompanied by other Gods who are her guardians. Martinique has seven Hindu temples, places of worship, that were obtained by the Indian plantation workers. “The plantation boss had difficulties during the growing season. Even if he did not want to believe in the ceremonies of the Indians, he still agreed to build a temple for them if they could make it rain. They did the ceremony, he got plenty of rain. And that’s how they got a place to pray.”