Dear Readers,
The weather's getting cold here and fall seems to be on the horizon. We enjoyed two separate occasions in Markham in the last two weeks. The Saturday before last, we celebrated Krishna Janmashtami at the Markham Sanatan Mandir. The celebration began late in the evening and by midnight, the tempo and vibrations inside the temple was one I will remember for years. The community centre was chock full of Krishna followers, many of whom had drove in from nearby cities.
At midnight, lights in the hall were turned off and the entire hall echoed with the sound of a storm. It was paired with brilliant flickering mini-lights. The scene of Vasudeva crossing Yamuna with baby Krishna in a basket protected from rain and storm by the hood of Vasuki was splendidly recreated and all those who witnessed it were awestruck, including me. The arrangements at the temple were more than stellar and I was grateful to have participated in the celebrations.
The idea of Sanatan Mandir began in 1977 when the Gujarat Samaj realised the need for a centre. After donations and collections, work on building the centre began in 1985. After years of hiccups, the committee began carrying out its religious activities out of a trailer. The years-long struggle for the Gujarati community came to an end in 1996, when the Sanatan Mandir community centre finally stood tall.
Yesterday, my husband and I were invited to a friend's place for their Ganesh sthapna. The entire ceremony was beautifully held along with an aarti and lunch. In the evening, we went to the derasar handled by the Jain Society of Toronto (JSOT). JSOT was founded as a non-profit organization in 1974, with one important mandate; to practice, promote and teach Jainism. JSOT is one of the first Jain organisations established in Canada and fifth in North America.
Hindu traditions abroad are just as rich and well-kept as in India. In the last couple of days, we have felt the most in touch with our culture as ever. To be honest, getting in touch with our vast community here is a breather.
