Take Me to Church (or to Temple or to Mosque)

Trinidad and Tobago's society can be described as multicultural and contains a blend of several religions. These beliefs have been passed down through generations with the most prominent ones being brought during the colonial era. The most popular religions in Trinidad and Tobago include Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. These religions have been greatly changed and diversified over time, even producing new religions. There is no rigid segregation of the religions in Trinidad as most celebrate or participate in various religious festivals such as Eid-ul-Fitr, Christmas and Divali. 

In Chaguanas the mixing of religious cultures is very prominent as reflected by the present of a variety of places of worship located throughout the urban area. These include many churches, mosques and temples. This religious aspect would fall under the category of culture which is one of the seven triggers of urban change. As Chaguanas developed and more persons settled many religions were introduced to the area, thereby, resulting in diversification. This cultural change would play a role in the expansion of the area making it more appealing. While culture is one of the factors affected by this assortment of religions, society is another trigger which can be considered. These religious beliefs of the urban population has a significant effect on the societal aspect of contemporary urban change, as there would be an effect on migration in and out of the area. 

There are churches representing many of the denominations of Christianity in Chaguanas including, the St. Charles Presbyterian Church, Chaguanas Evangelical Church, and Flaming Word Ministries. There is also a variety of mosques located along Caroni Savannah Road (periphery of the CBD) as well as within the CBD itself such as the Chagaunas Masjid and Masjid Ul-Ansari. Hindu temples are also quite prominently located within and around the CBD including the Edinburgh Hindu Temple, the Devi Mandir, and Carlsen Field Mother Temple. 

In Chaguanas there is a very large Hindu community as there are two major cultural facilities located here. There is the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) Nagar as well as the Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Center. The NCIC Nagar plays host to multiple Hindu festivities with the major activity being the Divali Nagar. The Raja Yoga Center is primarily focused on the meditative and spiritual arts. 

Photograph taken by Kristen Goseine with Canon EOS REBEL T3i/EOS 600D. (Date taken: 30/03/15)

Fun Fact: While Chagaunas may be diverse, it's not nearly as diverse as the Seven Kingdoms where one can find worshipers of the Old Gods of the Forest, the Seven, R'hllor "The Lord of Light", the Weirwood, the Drowned God or the Many-Faced God. 

References

Game of Thrones Wiki,. 2015. 'Religion'. Accessed April 8. http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Religion.

Game of Thrones Wiki,. 2015. 'Many-Faced God'. Accessed April 8. http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Many-Faced_God.

Game of Thrones Wiki,. 2015. 'Drowned God'. Accessed April 8. http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Drowned_God.

Game of Thrones Wiki,. 2015. 'Faith Of The Seven'. Accessed April 8. http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Faith_of_the_Seven.

Game of Thrones Wiki,. 2015. 'Old Gods Of The Forest'. Accessed April 8. http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Old_Gods_of_the_Forest.

Game of Thrones Wiki,. 2015. 'R'hllor'. Accessed April 8. http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/R%27hllor.

Game of Thrones Wiki,. 2015. 'Weirwood'. Accessed April 8. http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Weirwood.

Pacione, Michael. 2001. Urban Geography. London: Routledge.