HINDU TEMPLE OF CHANGY

Just off the main road between Sainte-Marie and Capesterre-Belle Eau, you'll be amazed at the sight of this dazzlingly colorful Indian temple. You're standing in front of the largest Hindu temple on Guadeloupe, and not only the most beautiful, but also the most frequented by practicing Hindus on the island. It was built in 1974 on a site where a chapel dedicated to Maliémin had stood for over 100 years.

On the richly decorated main façade, statues of Maliémin, Kanadévi and other Hindu figures sit majestically. While some Indians became Catholics, others continued to perpetuate their religious worship, a legacy of their native land and traditions. Guadeloupe is home to some 60,000 people of Indian origin. Today, Indians of Catholic faith also continue to worship their ancestors, who came to work on the island to make up for the shortage of labor following the abolition of slavery. The first Indians arrived as indentured servants on December 24, 1854, aboard the ship Aurélie.

Ceremonies were performed in modest settings, a simple tin chapel being all that was needed, or in large temples such as Changy, owned by the Komla family and the most spectacular in the country. They are easy to spot in the countryside, thanks in particular to the presence of multicolored poles with receptacles for offerings, candles and oil lamps.