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The “unknown” Caribbean – Religion, Gender and Identity

The vast majority of those who came to the Caribbean from India were of the Hindu culture/faith. Many were guided by the stories of the epics - ranging from the Mahabharata through to the Rāmāyana.  With the central characters becoming sentinels of moral and upright intentions. Much can be said about the impact of religion in general and the narratives/ world views they can form, from our concept of sexuality, gender and even the human identity, but how often do we lend ourselves to forensic interpretation of the stories of the past?

In today’s final instalment of the Caribbean, I am joined by Nutan, who guides me through her interpretation of one of the oldest philosophies on Earth that seems to be unique to the islands. We uncover some of the lesser-known characteristics of central figures and relook at the significance it has on our modern day lives and understanding of the human experience.

About  Nutan Ragoobir

Nutan Ragoobir is a fourth generation Indian, residing in Trinidad & Tobago. She is an Insurance consultant by profession but has always been fascinated by Hindu epics. Her first book entitled, 'Bihar & Beyond' was published in 2019 and received praises from scholars and critics alike. She is the founder of the NGO, Girmitya Foundation and created the first ever digital library dedicated to Indian history (Girmitya Archives). Her second book entitled, 'Fires of Fate' has recently been launched and dives into the lives of about 20 lesser known female characters from Hindu epics.

About the Global Indian Series:

My name is Rajan Nazran Chief Explorer for the Global Indian Series, the official platform for people of Indian origin (PIO), because let’s face it, we are everywhere!

For almost 15 years we have travelled across the globe covering 58 countries to date whilst exploring the kaleidoscope of our remarkable 50 shades of brown community.

Voyaging to the edges of the Amazon, facing Ebola in West Africa, being held hostage in Eastern Europe, tapping rubber in Malaysia, drinking chai with Heads of State and sharing laughter with local fishermen – I have been there, looking for us!

Our purpose is simple, to build a living encyclopaedia of the human experience of the community and a safe mooring ground for open discussions, whether you are an NRI, Indian Diaspora, person of Indian origin (PIO) or a fan of South Asian anthropology, what we do is bring people and communities together.

We do this by plunging into the human experience of being a person of Indian origin (PIO), taking a second look at the countries we now call home and tackling the conversations we need to know more about.

Through our range of award-winning original content (print, podcasts, events and TV) and fascinating discussions, our impactful stories and platforms have spearheaded national and international conversations that have brought people together.  Our work is featured in global brands including The Indian Express through to the CNBC network.

How to get involved:

Interested in getting involved in building the world’s largest living encyclopaedia on the community? Whether you want to become a patron, buy us a chai in a new location or have your story shown, simply get in touch via our website, we would love to hear from you. www.globalindianseries.com

Social media:

You can reach Rajan via

Global Indian Series (@rajannazran) • Instagram photos and videos

(1) Rajan (Singh) Nazran | LinkedIn

Global Indian Series - YouTube

Special thank you to TAIZU for the music

Episode: 117

Presenter – Rajan Nazran

Producer –Global Indian Series/NazranRoth

Guests in order: Nutan Ragoobir

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https://globalindianseries.com/the-carnival-of-national-identity-made-in-trinidad-with-dr-kirk-meighoo/

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https://globalindianseries.com/changing-face-of-identity-suleiman-bulbulia-made-in-barbados/

https://globalindianseries.com/the-caribbean-season-st-lucia-and-identity-with-dr-stephen-king/

THE HISTORY OF INDIANNESS | THE SUGAR WAR (globalindianseries.com)

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https://globalindianseries.com/st-kitts-and-nevis-with-india/

We produce content that inspires purpose, passion, and community. If you like what we do, please do share, like, subscribe and comment. It helps massively with online algorithms.

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