In the Caribbean, Hindus lead Muharram: The unique history of Trinidad's 'Hosay'

• After slavery was abolished in the early 1800s, the British transported indentured workers from India to colonies like the Caribbean
• Trinidad welcomed its first cohort of Indian indentured labourers in 1845
• By 1854, the Indian community started celebrating Hosay, a unique Indo-Caribbean practice to observe the 10th day of Muharram
• Although Muharram and Ashura are Islamic occasions, in the Caribbean, they are celebrated and observed by a Hindu majority
• In Cedros, for instance, the Hosay procession is composed entirely of Hindus, barring just one Muslim Imam
• Historically, Indian and African communities in Trinidad did not get along. To strengthen their unity, Indian-origin people decided to overlook religious or caste-based differences between themselves
• Hosay also brings together African-origin people in Trinidad
• In this podcast, an audio exploration of a Hindu-led Muslim festival, its past and present

Imagine this. You’re on the streets of Cedros in Trinidad in Muharram, and you see a procession fill up the streets. People are drumming up beats on Indo-Caribbean drums called ‘tassa’ and are stick-fighting amongst themselves. You see miniature tombs being paraded through the streets and floated on the sea, the tazias which represent Imam Hussain’s tomb in Karbala. Perhaps you hear some chanting as well.

This is part of the Caribbean-style commemoration of Ashura, the tenth day of the Muharram. When we talk about Ashura, or Muharram, we perceive it as a religious occasion observed by the Muslim community. But what if that was not the case here? What if we told you, the people commemorating Ashura in Trinidad are largely and primarily Hindus?