This tranquil, almost surreal Hindu temple sits at the end of a causeway jutting 90m off the central west coast. Its formal name is Sewdass Sadhu Shiv Mandir, after its creator. Grateful for his safe return from India through the WWII-embattled waters of the Pacific, Sadhu committed himself to building a temple. Construction began in 1947 on state-owned land. When the state demolished his efforts, Sadhu began building out in the sea, carrying each foundation stone on his bicycle to the water’s edge. When he died in 1970, his work was still incomplete; the temple was finally finished by the Hindu community in 1995. It’s a beautiful place, surrounded by the shallow waters of the Gulf at high tide and with prayer flags fluttering in the air. The site is sacred to Hindus (as is the adjacent creation site), but visitors are welcome; remove your shoes before entering.
To get to Waterloo, travel south from Port of Spain on the Uriah Butler Hwy to Chaguanas, then take the signposted turnoff onto the Southern Main Rd. At St Mary’s (near the big KFC), Waterloo Rd heads west to the temple. Alternatively, take a maxi-taxi to Chaguanas (TT$6), then another to St Mary’s (TT$3), from where you can get a route taxi (TT$3) to the temple.
