Hindu Federation

March 4, 2020

Members of the Hindu Federation recently met at the Vishnu Mandir in Richmond Hill to
(among other matters) set the priorities for 2020, which are as follows:

• Acquire rented facilities to serve as its head office. Office space located on Export Boulevard in Mississauga has been identified, at a cost of $1,000 per month. A volunteer has been identified to look after the office.
•  Celebration of Ganesh Chatruti. The date has been set (August 29, 2020) and the permits have been obtained from the City of Pickering. It will at the same location as last year (Alex Robertson Park in Pickering, close to Lake Ontario). It is hoped that a motorcade from City Hall in Pickering will be part of the celebration.
•  Hindu Forum. Last year, this was held in Mississauga in August. This year, it is planned for the east end of Toronto on September 26. A venue will have to be identified.
•  Hindu Recognition Gala to be held around November 21. This will be an occasion to recognize Hindu leaders and to also celebrate Hindu Heritage Month. It is hoped that this will be in a central location.
•  Pandits’ Forum. This was planned for last year, but was postponed due to inclement weather. The focus initially will be to achieve commonality of practices among temples, which have origins in both North and South India.
•  Restoration of Cremation Ash Disposition Site in Pickering. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) (which owns the land on which the site is located) has requested the Federation to raise the necessary funds to assist in the restoration of the site (which will include the planting of trees to mitigate the loss of shoreline due to rising water levels). TRCA does not have the budget (approximately $19,000) for this project. A team was identified and will approach Funeral Homes first, and a wider donor base thereafter.
•  Bhajan Samelan. This was postponed from last year. Bhavani Shankar has volunteered to host this event and a team has been assembled.
•  Marriage Act Registration. The Hindu Federation will apply to become a registered organization under the Marriage Act. This will allow Hindu Priests to perform wedding ceremonies under the auspices of the Federation.
•  Dialogues. A Hindu/Catholic dialogue is scheduled for March 14, with dialogues with the Muslim and Jewish communities being contemplated for later in the year.