- Location: the village of Waterloo, near the town of Chaguanas, Trinidad Island;
- Entrance: free;
- Opening hours: daily from 6.00 to 18.00
If you decide to go to the coast of the island of Trinidad , do not bypass the colorful temple on the water, which is located near the village of Waterloo.
Approaching the designated place, you can immediately notice the enchanting landscape with snow-white domes of the Temple of Waterloo. Its evolving flag in the wind and the flame of the bonfire give the impression that you are on the banks of the Ganges River, and not on the Caribbean islands.
History of the temple
The construction of this landmark site began in the distant 1947. At that time on the island were the best plantations of sugar cane. And for the processing of these plantations hired workers from India. This did not pass without a trace, because the Indians filled the island with their culture, which later spread throughout the country.
One of the workers was particularly hardworking and distinguished by true faith. Therefore, he dedicated all his free time to the construction of the temple. Sidas Sadhu dreamed that in the future temple the same believing Indians will be able to pray, like himself. But right after the construction was completed, the sugar company expressed a storm of indignation, as the land on which the structure was located was in her possession.
The Sadhu was punished and held in jail for 14 days, and the temple, so lovingly erected, was demolished. But the suffering caused did not diminish the ardor of the Hindu, but, on the contrary, made it more decisive. After a while, a new painstaking work began on the construction of the temple.
This time the seaside was chosen as a construction site, and it is not surprising, because here no one could claim ownership of the site. Sadhu carried construction materials with a conventional bicycle and a leather bag. For a long twenty-five years, an Indian worker, suffering bullying and ridicule from others, spent on erecting a whole religious shrine - Temple in the Sea at Waterloo.
The Temple of Waterloo in our days
One-story temple of Waterloo has the form of an octagon. Sea water adversely affected the shrine and by 1994 a part of the temple was partially damaged. But officials grabbed this temple complex, restored it and added a pier to it so that the temple was accessible during tides.
Today, all sorts of ceremonies related to religion are held here: weddings, puja rites and funeral in the form of cremation. Any tourist can visit the temple, but before entering the room it is necessary to remove shoes, since the entrance to the temple is allowed only barefoot.
How to get there?
Being in any main outpost of Trinidad , you can safely drive to the temple of Waterloo in a rented car. Being in Chuguanas , you can get to the temple complex by bus or taxi. Also, a visit to the temple complex will perfectly fit into the schedule of excursions of those who are planning to make a trip to San Fernando or Port of Spain .
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