This Caribbean Nation Plans To Build Grand Ram Mandir, Become Mini Ayodhya

A tiny nation of 1.4 million people with a 65 percent Christian population is preparing to build a grand Ram Mandir. Trinidad & Tobago is taking major steps to establish itself as a cultural and spiritual center for Hinduism in the Caribbean.

With a Hindu population of around 3,50,000, this twin-island nation is often referred to as Ramayana Country. The government has expressed strong support for the construction of a grand Ram Mandir in its capital, Port of Spain.

Highlighting the nation's role in preserving Hindu traditions outside India, Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath announced that discussions were on with religious leaders, including those who facilitated the arrival of a replica of the Ram Lalla idol from Ayodhya earlier this year, according to the news agency ANI.

Padarath said, "The Ram Lalla initiative is something that we welcome. It is something we support."

The move comes after Prem Bhandari, the founder of the Overseas Friends of Ram Mandir in New York, proposed creating a Hindu religious and spiritual hub called "Ayodhya Nagari" in Trinidad & Tobago. The purpose is to serve North American devotees unable to make the journey to the Indian city of Ayodhya.

In the hope of creating a "mini Ayodhya" in the country, Bhandari proposed the idea to Prime Minister Kamala Persad-Bissessar.

The proposal follows the successful unveiling of a replica of the Ram Lalla idol from Ayodhya in May 2025, an event jointly organised by Bhandari and Amit Alagh, chair of the Ayodhya Shri Ram Organisation in Trinidad & Tobago, which attracted over 10,000 devotees.

Padarath said that Trinidad & Tobago has become an important place for Hindus in the Caribbean. He said that practices such as reciting the Bhagwata and Ramayana have been kept alive across generations. These traditions were brought to the nation by Indian indentured laborers in the 19th century.

The new Ram Mandir, he said, won't just be a place for worship; it will also serve multiple purposes, such as a center for cultural education, a hub for spiritual activities, and a place for community gatherings and festivals for future generations.