OFFERINGS TO MA DURGA: These Hindu women gather at the foot of the mud volcano as they make offerings to Ma Durga, the Hindu deity said to reside in the earth
Villagers who live on the perimeter of the volcano at Colombia Estate, Fullerton Village, said that for the past few days, hot mud has been flowing constantly as the earth trembles near the volcano.
Situated approximately four miles into heavily forested area the volcano’s recent activities have left villagers fearing a major eruption. To allay these fears, a devotee said, they went to the site and together with a pundit, offered prayers and even threw flowers and fruits in a solemn act of “feeding the monster within the bowels of the earth’s crust”.
Pundit Ganeshdeth Maharaj of the Fullerton Hindu Temple, told worshippers that if they did not offer “gifts” to Mother Durga whose place of abode is in the bowels of the earth, the volcano would blow off its top and mud will flow in great volume, destroying everything in sight.
The mud volcano is among some 20 dormant ones in south Trinidad. There has never been an eruption of the Colombia Estate volcano in recorded history. The only such eruption of a mud volcano was at the Piparo mud volcano and this occurred in 1996. It destroyed 15 homes. Yesterday’s puja began with erection of an altar with devotees using the still soft mud of a recent flow. Men, women and children dressed in traditional East Indian wear offered flowers, fruits, leaves, grains and water to the Hindu goddess Durga.
Nine women were chosen from among the devotees to carry out the offerings at the volcano’s mouth while pundit Maharaj chanted prayers. As he prayed, women and children formed a circle around the volcano’s mouth and holding each other’s shoulder, they walked around the volcano in a ceremonial act.
Yesterday’s ceremony ended with the planting of a flag in the hole of the bubbling volcano. Scattered about the plateau are mounds of other smaller cones which spewed hot mud every few minutes. Villagers said that when there is a steady overflow, the volcanic mud seeped into their backyard gardens.
Villager Dookie Sookoo who lives nearest to the volcano said she has grown accustomed to the rumblings and was grateful for yesterday’s “puja”. “I mean, that has been there for so many years, but I know that once the prayers are performed, nothing will harm us,” she said.
Also present at the puja ceremony were representatives from the Indian High Commissioner’s Office in Port-of-Spain.
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