Avinash Post #1

Avinash Rampersaud
8/01/2017
Blog Post #1

So far my research has been primarily about the history of Indians moving to Guyana and the reasons behind the move. I found out that the reason for the Indians moving to Guyana was the indentured servitude that many were forced into by the British. I also learned about the different uses and meanings for the Om symbol aside from my prior knowledge. For example, it can be used for representing the soul and the eternal silence of the universe. The image to the left is a picture of one of the books that I have been using to conduct my research on the meaning of the Om symbol. It also has information about the spread of the Om symbol to other places and to other cultures. However, this generally is not what is represented in the Western society. In the West, the Om symbol is represented as being used in yoga and centering the soul. I wanted to find out more about the importance of culture for the Indians that were being sent to Guyana. More specifically, I wanted to find out more about how Indians in Guyana were able to create these small Om pendants and statuettes while being indentured servants and how it changed Guyana. I think I will research this more tomorrow.