By Mohanlall Suelall
When Jagdeo Singh or Pandit Sugrim as he is known took the hands of Kuntie Singh on April 06, 1978 he made those seven sacred vows to her with God as his witness and she reciprocated them as well. Ever since that day he filled her maang (middle part of the hair) with sindoor (vermillion) Pandit Sugrim has been ensuring that he fulfils every vow he took.
Hailing from the Essequibo Coast, Pandit Sugrim got married when he was just 23 and has been with his wife ever since. He said that there are very few key things that lead to a happy and fulfilling marriage and noted that pure love and contentment trumps all.
“That day when I took that oath between my parents and God to make Kuntie my better half and to start my own family I worked towards achieving my dreams. After marriage, my first goal was to find a place to call home. I was living with my wife at my parents’ home in Anna Regina, but with hard work and dedication I was able to achieve my first goal and that is to purchase a house lot in Richmond Housing Scheme where I built my home and started my family.”
The initial stages of their life were not easy but they worked tirelessly to ensure that every goal was achieved. During his early life, Pandit Sugrim worked in the rice fields while Kuntie started a small business to supplement his income and take care of the family.
“Together we got three children, two daughters and one son. My daughters are now teachers and my son a policeman. Later on, I decided to follow my dream of becoming a Hindu priest (Pandit). My father taught me Hindi, the language that quickly helped me to study and become a Pandit.”
Every decision he made, his wife has been there. She would offer her advice and input so that they could build as a couple and be the kind of model that they envisioned. Never did Kuntie not support Pandit Sugrim’s dream and in return, he ensured that she was always happy.
After he would have completed his Pandit education, Sugrim built a mandir on his property and started to offer guidance to the residents of Richmond Housing Scheme.
“I saw the reason to build the mandir so as to get them together and to help them to become better citizens. I also started Hindi and Musical classes with the children. Over the years the Mandir grew from a four-post shed into a modern building and presently serving the community.”
Together with his wife, they offer Hindi classes as well as mainstream academic classes. Additionally, they have set up a foundation to assist the residents in their time of need whether it is to deal with sickness or deaths.
The couple’s aim for the mandir is to get the young people fully involved in meaningful activities. Over the years the mandir has done many humanitarian services by assisting with medical fees locally and abroad, feeding programmers, as well as other charitable acts.
Pandit Sugrim believers that serving humanity is serving God. It is a belief shared by his wife and that has been the reason they have been able to have a successful and long marriage. They plan to spend the rest of their lives together assisting those in need and offering the relevant guidance.
