Creativity, cultural expression and religious devotion took centre stage at the 2026 Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabah motorcade, as mandirs were recognised for their elaborate displays, colourful floats and artistic depictions, with several groups walking away with top honours across various categories. Prizes, including cash awards and trophies, were presented to winners across several categories.
The East Demerara Praant – Better Hope Hindu Temple secured the award for Best Float, while the East Demerara Praant – LBI Mandir won Best Large Float. The Better Hope Hindu Temple was recognised as the Most Creative Small Mandir, while the Philadelphia Hindu Temple captured the award for Most Creative Large Mandir.
Meanwhile, the Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation won Best Depiction of Characters on a Float and Overall Best Designed Large Float. The Golden Fleece Vishwa Jyoti Mandir secured the award for Overall Best Designed Small Float.
In the large category, the Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation also secured first place, taking home a cash prize of $700,000. Meanwhile, organisers behind the various floats shared insights into the inspiration and significance behind their motorcade displays. This publication caught up with one of the young designers, identified as Rajish, who spoke about the motivation behind his participation and the effort that went into bringing the display to life.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a one-man job, but rather that I was entrusted with the responsibility. Once again, it was a collective effort by our entire team, with everybody pitching in here and there. I graduated this June from the Bishop’s High School. I think it is important for all youths in Guyana to be part of their religion, especially in a religion like Hinduism, where it is very necessary for young people to be involved. I think it teaches good leadership skills, such as organising materials, getting people involved and finding resources.” He also explained that the team encountered several challenges along the way.
“I’d say the late nights, but that’s not really a challenge because everybody is out here helping. I’d say the hardest challenge we had was actually decorating and getting everybody together to work on the display. That was probably the most difficult part. In Hinduism, white is considered a sacred colour. So, if you look at the float and see a lot of white, that ties into that.”
Amid the preparations, he said securing participants for the float was relatively easy, noting that the idea of showcasing different forms of the divine was warmly embraced by the community, with many parents eager to have their children participate. Looking ahead to next year’s motorcade, he said organisers are hoping to feature a larger truck, accommodate more participants and introduce moving elements to make the display even more captivating. Not far away was another exhibitor, who was equally enthusiastic about showcasing the creativity and craftsmanship behind the design of his truck.
“We are always excited for Divali because it gives us an opportunity to showcase our creativity and originality through our designs. It took us a while to complete the display, but this year we focused on our [devines]. Our theme depicted the story of Sita being captured, who was distracted by the golden deer. Through this display, we also wanted to highlight the importance of detachment from material possessions and worldly attachments.” He identified time management as one of the major challenges, explaining that most members of his team have individual work commitments, making it difficult to coordinate preparations. As a result, much of the work was done overnight, with some sessions running from 18:00h until 06:00h the following morning.
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