There are very few if any, Trinidadians, who have not heard of La Divina Pastora and the Siparia Fete. Last week in this column we examined the roots of the patron saint of Siparia and possible origins. Beginning in the 1870s, thousands of pilgrims would flock to the tiny village in the forest to pay homage to the Divine Shepherdess.
To the first peoples, the Warao of the Orinoco Delta, she was a mixture of indigenous religion and Catholicism, while to the Catholics, she was a tangible representation of a saintly messenger. To the many Hindus who also added colour to the Siparia Fete, she was Siparee Mai, the Mother of Siparia.
Possibly, the small, dark statue, with its wig of real human hair, appealed aesthetically to the Indian indentured labourers who worshipped her in their own way. This was not always welcomed by the parishioners, who attempted in the 1940s to lock out the Hindu element, and were forced into tolerance when the miffed Indo-Trinis threatened to burn down the church!
Perhaps the earliest description of Siparia Fete was written by a French priest in the 1870s and reads: All along the way yesterday, on the eve of the feast, I met pilgrims of all colours going towards the sanctuary. They were counted in thousands...The road is very difficult and extremely uneven. Among the vehicles which try to come to Siparia, several broke down on the road. One cab tumbled into a ditch; many horses took flight and refused to go further. All eventually arrived at Siparia though.
Siparia is a very small village lost in the forest, with about 130 inhabitants who live in miserable huts with roofs of timite palm. There is no hotel, just two or three ajoupas where drinks and provisions are sold. The pilgrims sleep under the night sky. The presbytery is barely more comfortable.
A hammock or a mattress on the floor or a carpet are the choices I have to offer the visiting priests. All day long the pilgrims come to prostrate at the feet of La Divina Pastora-French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Indians (mainly pagans).
Today, the Siparia Fete has lost its vibrancy from days of yore, often competing for national attention with the rip-roaring activities of Borough Day in Point Fortin. The unflagging devotion of thousands, however, has not subsided, with the annual procession of the statue through the streets is still the highlight of the event calendar.
Every year, on Holy Thursday, the image is taken from its shrine in the parish church and exposed to public devotion in the presbytery, after which she is clad in ornate garments and jewelry by specially appointed ladies of the parish, to whom this service is a sacred duty. The procession itself is often attended by His Grace the Archbishop. La Divina Pastora remains a unique symbol of hybridised devotion because of her significance to so many diverse peoples.
