The Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre (ICC) is thrilled to invite you to an enjoyable and educational tour to Grenada. Come celebrate the Spice Island’s diversity, culture and history as we organise the 3rd annual ICC non-profit tour from Wednesday, August 14th to Thursday 22nd, 2024. Some visitors may want to go a couple of days earlier to see Grenada’s Carnival.

Belmont Estate

The first ship, named the Maidstone, departed from Calcutta on January 27, 1857, and arrived three months later on May 1st at Irwin’s Bay, St Patrick, Grenada. It is believed that the survivors were first taken to Belmont Estate as a holding area, and were then distributed to about 15 plantations in St Patrick. Interestingly, Belmont Estate was later owned by a descendant of Indian indentured labourers, Nobert Nyack and Lyris Nyack, and is now owned and managed by their granddaughter, attorney Shadel Nyack-Compton. Belmont Estate is active in the promotion of Indo-Grenadian history and heritage. Every year on Indian Arrival Day, the estate hosts an extravagant event offering authentic Indian cuisine and Indian cultural entertainment.

Visitors on the tour will explore the prestigious U.S. St. George’s University. They will also experience the True Blue Bay Resort Street Food Festival which has many-themed nights with a live local band and Grenadian food vendors serving a variety of Caribbean cuisine. Visitors will also enjoy great Indian food at the Punjabi Restaurant near the airport. Each dish is tasty and good-sized.

Maidstone Road

In 2009, the Government of Grenada announced that Boucherie Road, the road leading to the site of the arrival of the Maidstone, would be officially renamed Maidstone Road to honour the arrival of Indians in Grenada. The renaming was officially done in a ceremony at La Fortune Junction, St. Patrick. Governor General Sir Carlyle Glean unveiled a granite plaque commemorating the arrival of the first Indians in Grenada. The plaque bears the inscription, “On 1st May 1857, in this bay, the sailing vessel Maidstone anchored and landed 287 passengers, having left India three months earlier, with 304 passengers. Between the years 1857 and 1890, other ships anchored in this and other bays, bringing a total of 3,200 persons from India to work as agricultural indentured labourers in Grenada. This monument is dedicated to those who became the genesis of the Indo-Grenadian population of our nation.”

A bust statue of Mahatma Gandhi overlooks Sauteurs Bay in Grenada where East Indians arrived 171 years ago.  It has been installed on the grounds of a secondary school overlooking the area where Indian descendants landed.

St. George’s City Tour

Visitors will take a stroll through the charming streets of St. George’s, the island’s capital, to see the colonial architecture, bustling markets, variety of shops and waterfront restaurants. The Grand Anse Craft and Spice Market is nestled along the iconic Grand Anse Beach with shops brimming with an array of arts and crafts, custom-made jewellery, leather items, vibrant textiles and locally-produced aromatic spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon as well as cocoa. Visitors will also indulge their sweet tooth at the House of Chocolate.

The Union Community Complex

In 2021, the Government of India funded the construction of the Union Community Centre in the Parish of St. Marks at a cost of approximately US$ 611,000.Visitors will spend some time cooking and playing at the multi-purpose facility built for educational, sporting, cultural and social events.

The tour will include stops at iconic landmarks such as the historic Fort George. Visitors will also sail across to Carriacou Island where they will explore pristine beaches, vibrant coral reefs and a laid-back atmosphere that captures the essence of Grenada’s natural beauty. On the Island, our tour participants will participate in a Raksha Bandhan ceremony in which biological and adopted sisters will tie a coloured string, called rakhi, around the wrists of their brothers. Visitors will also experience the spiritual harmony of Grenada at St. Andrew’s Kirk Presbyterian Church, a mosque and a mandir.

How to Join the ICC Tour

Don’t miss out on this extraordinary opportunity to explore the heart, soul and spirit of Grenada. To reserve your spot for the 3rd annual non-profit ICC Tour, contact Ms. Shalima Mohammed WhatsApp +1 868 329 7051 shalimamd@gmail.com Limited flights and hotel rooms are available because of Carnival celebrations.

See the unedited YouTube recording of the 192nd edition of the launch of the tour: https://www.youtube.com/live/gs0UMifh6JM?si=MoKcd9MXCvyIvGwJ Please express your interest in joining our tour from August 14th to 22nd by clicking on this link: https://forms.gle/dJVnegZ2B7ud4epF7 Please register on or before April 15th, 2024.

These ICC Indian Diaspora Country Tours are intended to bring people in the Indian diaspora physically together to all former colonies at which ships bearing indentured Indian immigrants had once docked. We hope to continue the Indian tradition of extended family get-togethers.