Maha Sabha Chowtaal Sammelan heralds Phagwa festival

Children from more than 50 Hindu schools across Trinidad flocked to the headquarters of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Saba yesterday for the 16th Annual Primary School’s Chowtaal Sammelan. The chowtaal is a type of Hindu folkmusic sung during the vernal of Phagwa or Holi “Festival of spring.” This year’s celebration was entitled “A new beginning, tribute to Lord Krishna.”

Some of the schools that participated were the Don Miguel Hindu School, Felicity Hindu School and the El Dorado South Hindu School. The performances were reminiscent of other diasporic forms of cultural expressions such as choral speaking as they seemed to be doing a type of sound off.

Each item consisted of a two choirs parallel to each other, chanting Hindustani melodies, which morphed into various scales of tempo and undulating voice keys. While each Chowtaal was performed, there were devotional plays simultaneously conducted, which paid homage to various Hindu Deities Such as Lord Krishna and Hanuman.