Divali Nagar

Divali Nagar is a permanent showground at Chaguanas built for a nine-night festival held in the run-up to Divali each year, which has run since 1986 and has become the largest celebration of Indian culture in the Caribbean. Each night carries a theme, with classical and folk performance on the main stage, a replica village, exhibitions on Hindu practice, and rows of food stalls selling vegetarian Indian food. Thousands come each evening.

The main sights

• The nine nights - a themed programme running through the week before Divali.
• The main stage - classical, folk and chutney performance each evening.
• The food stalls - vegetarian Indian food sold across the ground.
• The exhibitions - displays on Hindu practice and Indian arrival in Trinidad.

When to go

The festival runs for nine nights ending just before Divali, which falls in October or November. Outside that the ground is largely empty. Evenings from about six are when it operates.

Practical notes

The site is used for nine nights a year and there is nothing to see outside that. Crowds and traffic around Chaguanas during the festival are heavy. Parking is difficult and the walk in can be long.

Nearby

Hanuman Murti is south, and Chaguanas is nearby.