One of the dilapidated but well-known landmarks in Chaguanas is the Lion House on the Main Road in Chaguanas.
The house is also known as Anand Bhavan or Mansion of Bliss. In 1924, Pundit Capildeo utilised his artistic skills to begin constructing this masterpiece. He died in 1925 whilst on a trip to India. Who was this builder? Capildeo was born in 1873 in the village of Mahadeva Dubey in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.
He would later leave for Benares to study. This never materialised, as he was recruited by arkatias (immigrant recruiters) to work on the sugar estates in the British colony of Trinidad. He boarded the Hereford ship in 1894, accompanied by other Indians. Capildeo served on the Woodford Lodge Sugar Estate in Chaguanas. Upon leaving the indentured scheme, he became a pundit serving the Hindus in central and the rest of Trinidad. Capildeo was also a renowned businessman, farmer and landowner.
Some of his relatives believed Capildeo hoped to reconstruct, in Chaguanas, an extraordinary structure similar to one in the town of Gorakhpur in India. Undoubtedly, it reflected the builder’s ancestral homeland, as the Lion House was modelled on unique Gupta-style houses that existed in India during the fifth century.
It was dubbed ‘Hanuman House’ by V.S. Naipaul in A House for Biswas, who referred to it as an ‘alien white fortress’. Indeed, its prominence is also due to the fact that it was the childhood home of both Naipaul and Dr Rudranath Capildeo.
Prior to the emergence of the Lion House, the site was occupied by a shop-home. The Lion House would be built to the front of the shop-home. Both merged as the Lion House eventually hid the former residence. The house was painted white and had four storeys. Undoubtedly, this impressive structure reflected the wealth of its occupants and their status in the community.
The majestic architectural style reflected a Hindu ideology, and intricate designs were made around windows and doors. The base of the concrete pillars had floral patterns. Circular mirrors were installed to identify the house’s openings. The lions are on the front ends of the House, and on the back wall is a depiction of Ganesh—an elephant-headed god.
Behind the walls was a secluded inner courtyard which had a small garden and would have been a relaxing setting on mornings and afternoons. From the street, the public saw thick, outside walls. These walls were surrounded by impressive pillars that formed an arcade. A flat roof provided protection from the elements.
The top floor was rarely utilised by the family and seemed unnecessary. Below was the third floor, which housed a puja room. From this room, family members had access to the top floor.
Below was the second storey, which was private and for domestic use. It was occupied by the family and had four rooms. This level was connected to the third floor by narrow, wooden steps.
The first floor was regularly used by the children. This storey was a thoroughfare for the public and was accessible from the Main Road. Furthermore, there was a store, with awnings and decorative blocks, for public business. The quaint store sold ganja, haberdashery, puja materials and a few household items from India.
The grand Lion House was not simply a private dwelling but served a greater purpose. It was the focal point for Hindus in nearby communities and a venue for panchayats.
Today, the Lion House is in a deplorable state. The once-glorious Lion House remains uninhabited, and there are weeds slowly climbing the white fortress. The building is surrounded by a galvanised fence to prevent homeless persons from entering. Above the galvanised wall, at the front of the home, is a moss-covered plaque that mockingly states the “…Lion House continues to stand as a bequest to our nation and a proud symbol of struggle and success.” Probably, this private property and its neglect should be a concern for us. Undoubtedly, it has the potential to be a tourist attraction.
Maybe in the future, there will be better care for this iconic building that appears half-dead. Hopefully, a patriot could intervene and try to salvage and protect this building that urgently needs to be preserved for future generations. If not, then one day someone will demolish this old structure and replace it with a modern building.
This relic of Chaguanas is resilient but remains a fading landmark. The aged lions now appear to be half-dead. Once the pride and joy of Chaguanas, the once-famous Lion House now reflects our apathy towards the past and scant regard for historical preservation.
