Latchmansing temple - Shiva temple

Monument - Saint-François

Built in 2008 by the pousari François Latchmansing and inaugurated in 2010, this temple, near the Simonière pond, is of Dravidian inspiration, an architectural idiom in the architecture of Hindu temples which emerged in the southern part of the India, reaching its final form in the 16th century. The buildings have a square plan with a pyramidal roof. Housing the main Hindu deities, Shiva, Ganesh, Parvati, Murugan, Hanuman, Lakshmi in particular, there is also Nagour-Mira, the Muslim saint whose attribute is to save boats at sea. The murals representing the deities supplemented by inscriptions in Sanskrit were produced by Katalina Latchmansing. Outside, the lingam, symbol of Shiva, is prominently displayed. In Guadeloupe, it should be noted that the most ancient temples, those which were part of continuity with the habitat of the engaged and until the end of the 1970s, have become rare. However, for the most part, the temples, even modest ones, have been the object in recent decades of renewal. These temples are most often the private property of an officiant, who built them near his house. More than half of the Guadeloupe families of Indian origin have kept the practice of Hindu worship and almost three quarters of them simultaneously worship at least two of the four main deities that are Maliémin, Kâli, Maldévilin and Nagour Mila. We have noted for twenty years a renewed interest in Hindu practices, especially on the part of young people who strive to perpetuate the religious traditions of their ancestors, some even studying the Tamil language to better understand this religion.