Bronze statues for Palmyra Monument arrives in Guyana
Ministry of Education, Georgetown, November 15, 2016
Several years ago the Ministry of Education started negotiations with the public and private sectors, NGO’s and other agencies to design and build monuments to coincide with the observance of Guyana’s 250th Emancipation and the 175th anniversary of Indian arrival in Guyana.
The bronze statues for Palmyra Monument
Of the two monuments, the 1823 Monument has already been commissioned and is enjoyed by many. Meanwhile, the six figures (four adults and two children) for the Indian Arrival monument have arrived in Guyana. The monument was designed by Philbert Gajadar and Winslow Craig, and constructed by the Indian Government.
The Minister within the Ministry of Education, Hon. Nicolette Henry along with the Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam, First Secretary, T.D. Bhutia and Stadium Manager, Mr. Anthony Xavier; witnessed the opening of one of the crates containing the statues at the Guyana National Stadium.
The 12×12 monument is sculpted in bronze and describes the lives of ordinary Indian people in their routine everyday life with each carrying something of importance – their jahaji bhandal (ship bundle) loaded with food, spices, herbs, clothing, jewellery, their gods, religious texts, drum, karaahi (cooking pan) tawa (flat circular metal for cooking roti), grass knives (scythe), cutlass and rice plants. The figures are presented in a straightforward realism with the human factor ever present.
The arrival of the statues is an indication that work will commence shortly at the Palmyra site in Region 6.