Carapichaima
Encyclopedia
Carapichaima is a small and quickly developing town in the heart of central Trinidad
. This multi-ethnic and multi-cultural town encompasses a large area that comprises many small communities and villages including Orange Field Village, Waterloo, Brickfield Village and Korea Village.
producing village that sprouted into a bustling town after the railroad opened up central Trinidad to development and population movements. Key to the development of this area was the central location of a train station. This allowed the quiet village to grow eventually into a hub for transportation in central Trinidad and center for commerce for the surrounding areas and rural communities. A number of schools have sprouted in the area to accommodate its rising population. One of the first was the Canadian Missionary school, the Waterloo Presbyterian School. This was originally built to educate the rural East Indians who lived and formed the workforce of the sugar plantations that encompassed the region at that time. Eventually a number of schools were established like the Waterloo Hindu School, the Anglican School and the Muslim School to name a few. Carapichaima has also been a major staging point for Carnival celebrations in Central Trinidad.
Carapichaima has seen major changes and growth due to a number of factors. These include the construction of new schools in the area, the establishment and expansion of business into the area and the increase in tourism
into the area.
Major structural changes occurred in the past few years when the main sugar producing, state owned company, Caroni 1975 Ltd., was closed. A significant part of the rural population were employed in the sugar industry and are still trying to cope with these changes. Among some of the major problems plaguing this community is increasing crime rates and difficulty coping with the previously mentioned structural changes.
The town is very culturally diverse hosting a very large East Indian population as well as a significant African population. The predominantly East Indian population explains the dominance of religions like Hinduism
and Islam
in the area. This dominance is evident by the amount of Temples and Mosque
s located in the area. Of major significance was the construction of the tallest(85 feet) Hanuman
statue in the Western Hemisphere in Orange Field. Also of significance is the temple in Waterloo, which extends into the sea. Several Mosques dot the area and a Muslim school is centrally located close to the former train station. A number of churches also exist to serve the growing Christian population in Carapichaima.
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. This multi-ethnic and multi-cultural town encompasses a large area that comprises many small communities and villages including Orange Field Village, Waterloo, Brickfield Village and Korea Village.
History
The name Carapichaima is said to be derived from the native Amerindian inhabitants who no longer exist in this area. Historically Carapichaima had been a sugarSugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
producing village that sprouted into a bustling town after the railroad opened up central Trinidad to development and population movements. Key to the development of this area was the central location of a train station. This allowed the quiet village to grow eventually into a hub for transportation in central Trinidad and center for commerce for the surrounding areas and rural communities. A number of schools have sprouted in the area to accommodate its rising population. One of the first was the Canadian Missionary school, the Waterloo Presbyterian School. This was originally built to educate the rural East Indians who lived and formed the workforce of the sugar plantations that encompassed the region at that time. Eventually a number of schools were established like the Waterloo Hindu School, the Anglican School and the Muslim School to name a few. Carapichaima has also been a major staging point for Carnival celebrations in Central Trinidad.
Carapichaima has seen major changes and growth due to a number of factors. These include the construction of new schools in the area, the establishment and expansion of business into the area and the increase in tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
into the area.
Major structural changes occurred in the past few years when the main sugar producing, state owned company, Caroni 1975 Ltd., was closed. A significant part of the rural population were employed in the sugar industry and are still trying to cope with these changes. Among some of the major problems plaguing this community is increasing crime rates and difficulty coping with the previously mentioned structural changes.
The town is very culturally diverse hosting a very large East Indian population as well as a significant African population. The predominantly East Indian population explains the dominance of religions like Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the area. This dominance is evident by the amount of Temples and Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s located in the area. Of major significance was the construction of the tallest(85 feet) Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
statue in the Western Hemisphere in Orange Field. Also of significance is the temple in Waterloo, which extends into the sea. Several Mosques dot the area and a Muslim school is centrally located close to the former train station. A number of churches also exist to serve the growing Christian population in Carapichaima.
External links
- Dattatreya Temple and 85 ft Hanuman Murti in Carapichaima, Rishi Sankar (2011), Retrieved 2011-06-01