GEORGETOWN: URP restores Arya Samaj Monument in Georgetown

GEORGETOWN: Members of the United Republican Party (URP), on last Monday, volunteered time and resources cleaning, restoring, and sprucing up the Arya Samaj national monument at the Promenade Gardens in Georgetown. The monument was built in 2011 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Arya Samaj presence in Guyana.

URP
President, Dr. Vishnu Bandhu was joined by other executives and members of the
party during the cleaning up effort.

“The Arya
Samaj monument was badly in need of cleaning up of vegetation and discolouration
and blemishes and a paint job. It sparked a fuel among volunteers in the party
to perform public service,” the URP said in a release.

According
to Dr. Bandhu, party members decided to work together zealously and clean up
this important heritage site, beautify it and the garden around it because they
are proud of the City and country.

“We want
to brighten up the monument and garden so people can enjoy it and it can
attract tourists,” he said.

Volunteers
spent several hours sprucing up the monument and area around it. They pulled
weeds, mulched around the plants as well as the monument and shrub beds, and
hauled away the garbage.

“This is
another in a long list of volunteerism in various projects including doling out
hampers by members of the party,” the release said.

Dr.
Bandhu is of the view that the City and the country are blessed to have such
monument constructed in a prominent location. The monument is a reminder of the
presence of the Arya Samajists in Guyana. Arya Samaj is a branch of Hinduism.
The monument tells a story of the Arya Samaj and Indian presence in the
country. The Arya Samaj movement played a very important role in the
independence struggle, Dr Bandhu said.

The Arya
monument has not been cleaned or painted since first erected a decade ago. Dr.
Bandhu had overseen the establishment of the monument when he was leader of the
Central Arya Samaj; it was funded with financial resources of the United
Federation of Arya Samaj Mandirs of America.

“It’s a
sacred duty to maintain the monument that has been neglected for so long. It is
important that the monument stand out and that the plants and flowers around it
be spruced up. The monument is very important to a large number of Guyanese,
telling a story of their presence and contributions to the nation and the
growth of the movement. The URP is proud and humbled to spearhead the cleaning
efforts and rehabilitation of this monument and plan to do same with other
neglected structures. The monument has been restored to its original beauty. It
is quite an achievement. Hopefully, it will inspire others to do same with
other neglected monuments,” the release said.

The URP
leadership expressed appreciation to the volunteers last Monday.

“It fills
my spirit with joy to see volunteers committing time, energy, and resources to
polish up the monument. I am so thankful to them. The monument is once again a
very attractive site, like it is brand new,” Dr Bandhu said.