Indian Arrival Day 2026 — How Many Days Until Indian Arrival Day?
About Indian Arrival Day
Indian Arrival Day is a public holiday in Trinidad and Tobago, observed on 30 May each year. It commemorates the arrival of the first indentured Indian labourers to Trinidad on 30 May 1845, when the ship Fatel Rozack docked at Nelson Island with 225 Indians aboard.
Following the abolition of slavery in 1834 and the end of the apprenticeship period in 1838, plantation owners in Trinidad sought new sources of labour. The British colonial government arranged for indentured workers from India, promising land or return passage upon completion of their indenture contracts. Between 1845 and 1917, over 143,000 Indians arrived in Trinidad under this system.
Indian Arrival Day celebrates the resilience, culture, and contributions of Indo-Trinidadian and Indo-Tobagonian communities. Events include cultural performances, classical and folk dance, Hindi film screenings, traditional food festivals, religious ceremonies (Hindu, Muslim, and Christian), and educational exhibitions. The day has been a public holiday since 1994.
- Indian Arrival Day is observed on 30 May each year in Trinidad and Tobago
- The first indentured Indian labourers arrived on 30 May 1845 aboard the ship Fatel Rozack
- Over 143,000 Indians came to Trinidad as indentured labourers between 1845 and 1917
- Indians of various religions — Hindu, Muslim, and Christian — came to T&T during indentureship
- Indian Arrival Day has been a public holiday in T&T since 1994