Co-ordinator of Om Shakti Mandali Swadeshi Group
In the recently concluded SWAHA Annual Swadeshi Competition, the Om Shakti Mandali of Aranguez placed 1st in four of six categories. Pt. Vinayak Persad co-ordinated their Swadeshi group.
Pt. Vinayak Persad, 24 years old, attended St. George’s College and then the University of the West Indies. He is the last of six children of Pt. Balram and Mrs. Nalini Persad. He intends to tie the marital knot in 2019.
Pt. Vinayak Persad: Since I was a young child, I have been involved with the Om Shakti Mandali, the Tulsi Manas Mandir and the SWAHA Kashie Vishwanath Mandir alongside my father, Pundit Balram Persad. Though I have taken part in SWAHA Swadeshi before, this is the first year that I took an active role in co-ordinating and planning for SWAHA Swadeshi with the Om Shakti Mandali, along with my sister Mrs. Chandika Ganesh. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience to harness the talents of our temple’s members and the entire experience allowed us to form a bond as a group of individuals united in our dharma and rich culture.
Om Shakti’s success is as a result of our extremely hardworking members who are a devoted and dedicated group of individuals. From young to old, each member of our group ensured that they were always on time for practice and gave the best of their time and best to represent Om Shakti to the best of their ability. They made our job quite easy and we are extremely grateful for their efforts.
I would advise the youth to always respect their Guru and to stand proud as Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago. Our history and culture are rich and it is up to us to ensure that it is preserved and passed on to future generations. We must continue to fly the flag of our dharma to the highest heights.
I was extremely blessed to grow up being exposed to the unparalleled wisdom of my grandfather, the late Shankaracharya, Shree Pundit Hari Prasad. His guidance has had a profound impact on my life and though he is no longer with us, his impressive life and legacy continues to be an example for us all.
One of my goals for the future is to engage our youth in constructive programmes facilitated by our temples which will be geared to spiritual, academic and social growth. Another is to use my platform to educate our people on the importance of environmental conservation and to introduce initiatives in our temples and schools to foster an attitude of greater responsibility towards the environment.
