Temple in the Sea

This Hindu temple was built through perseverance and strength. The Waterloo Temple, better known as Temple in the Sea, is an octagonal- shaped colourful structure. At the entrance of the temple, stands a statue of its designer Seedas Sadhu. Flags and statues adorn the temple’s perimetre. Before entering, you must remove your shoes because once inside, you are on holy ground. The beauty of reverence is reflected in the well-crafted murtis of Lord Hanuman, Lord Ganesh, Lord Shiva and Mother Durga and flowers adorned around them. The temple was first built in 1947 by indentured labourer Sadhu, whose dream was to build a place of worship. That dream was short lived as, five years later, it was destroyed by the government of the time since it was built on State-owned Caroni land. Not discouraged, Sadhu rebuilt the temple – this time in the sea to avoid the further incident. For the next 25 years, Sadhu dedicated himself to completing the temple. On his bicycle and in a leather bag, he carried stone by stone, assembling the base of the temple. In 1994, the government at the time helped finish the temple in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the coming of Indians to the country. A pier was added to ensure the Waterloo Temple could easily be accessed during high tide.