Community Connection
in the Arya Samaj
By Adit Kumar
"We have lit the diya of Arya Samaj in Toronto. We now need to add more ghee." This was the recommendation of Dr Ganraj Kumar, one of the keynote speakers last Sunday at a special program to celebrate the 136th anniversary of the establishment of Arya Samaj.
"Let the torch of Arya Samaj grow brighter and brighter. After all we owe an obligation to the next generation," he added as he outlined a number of suggestions to ensure youth involvement in Arya Samaj and the propagation of its teachings.
Dr Kumar and Dr Tulsiram Sharma were the keynote speakers at a joint program between Toronto Arya Samaj and Arya Samaj Markham at the Vedic Cultural Centre at 4345-14th Avenue, Markham to celebrate the Arya Samaj milestone.
Dr Kumar said that the 10 principles of Arya Samaj as set out by Swami Dayanand lead to the promotion of a well rounded citizen spiritually and intellectually developed to accept the responsibilities and challenges of a changing world.
He proposed that one way of ensuring the continuation of Arya Samaj is the establishment of kindergarten schools where the teachings of Arya Samaj could be introduced to youths during their formative years. This he said was successfully used by other denominations and we need to learn from their experience. He posited that this is the only window of opportunity for students as they have a hectic schedule from elementary school onwards in their educational and career development.
He suggested that advantage be taken of modern technology that students are already familiar with such as "facebook and twitter" to spread the teachings of Arya Samaj. He further suggested that the tenets and principles of Arya Samaj be made available in readily available printed tracts. A radio or television program he said should also be put on the agenda for propagation of Samaj teachings. These ideas were all well received by the large audience and Mr. Amar Erry, speaking on behalf of Arya Samaj, said that they would be working on implementing them.
Dr Tulsiram Sharma, the other keynote speaker, spoke on the significance of the Hindu New year and the rich legacy of India.
Arya Samaj was established on April 10, 1875 by Maharishi Swami Dayanand Saraswati in Mumbai, India. That date was specially chosen by Swamiji as it was New Year's Day in the Hindu calendar and he wanted to usher in a new beginning. It was not a new religion but rather, a reform movement operating under the Hindu fold that had "Back to the Vedas" as its clarion call.
Dr Kumar traced the historical development of Arya Samaj pointing out that it was "a trail blazer for the Swaraj movement in India at the time."
He noted that the defeat of the Indians by the British in the Mutiny of 1857, when the Rani of Jhansi lost her life in that battle at the young age of 23, provided a sense of identity and purpose to the Indians.
Dr Kumar reminded the audience of Swami Dayanand's role in fostering national pride quoting Swamiji's famous statement that "Foreign rule, however good, is never better than home rule." He identified a number of Arya Samajists who played key roles in the freedom struggle of India, such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandrapal and Lala Lajpat Rai. This group was so influential in the freedom struggle that they were labelled as the famous triumvirate - Bal, Pal and Lal.
Arya Samaj, he said, led the way in preparing the "new Indian" to function in a "new free India" by establishing schools, universities for their intellectual development and gurukuls for their spiritual development. Arya Samaj, he further added, also promoted social work following its 9th Principle that states: "No one should be content with his/her own prosperity. Individual prosperity should be considered in the prosperity of all."
Arya Samaj has spread across India and the world with centres in Mauritius, Fiji, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, North America and Europe.
The Vedic Cultural Centre in Markham is involved in a number of activities that go beyond routine religious programs. These include yoga and meditation, Vedic philosophy, music, Hindi and Sanskrit, physical education and karate, social work, giving out annual scholarships to university students and heritage month activities among others. This year marks the 15th year of the opening of the Vedic Cultural Centre and plans are afoot to celebrate this milestone in grand style.
For further information visit website: www.vedicculturalcentre.com or call 905-475-5378.
Arya Samaj Markham/Vedic Cultural Centre invites applicants to their annual Scholarship Award program. First prize $1,500 and floating trophy, Second prize $1,000, Third prize $750. Deadline for submission applications is April 15, 2011.
Arya Samaj is proud to support post-secondary education opportunities. Applicants are required to demonstrate flexibility, productivity, communication skills and team work along with a proven track record of volunteerism.
For information contact Ajit Wadhwa 416-491-7584, Ken Norman 416-666-1142, Shailesh Joshi 416-574-4509.
Mahaica Bygeval Secondary School will hold its 4th Reunion Dinner & Dance on April 30, 2011 at the Royal Canadian Legion Banquet Hall, 11 Irwin Rd, Etobicoke. Admission (includes Buffet dinner) is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. There will be door prizes and security is in place. For tickets, call Patricia 416-616-6039 or 416-741-5660 or contact patriciamahadeo @yahoo.com.
A Hinduism Summit will be held at the Vishnu Mandir, 8640 Yonge St, Richmond Hill on Saturday April 9 from 2:30-6:30 pm. The aim of the Summit is to "promote an understanding about the unique science behind Hinduism concepts and practices, and provide practical guidance on living Hinduism."
Hindu and spiritual leaders from around Toronto will discuss topics, such as, 'Unique spiritual science underlying Hinduism concepts and practices', 'Maintaining a Hindu identity in Canada', 'Issues that Hindus are facing in Canada', 'Spiritual dimension behind Hindu issues'. The Summit organizers want to preserve and promote Hinduism for the scientific basis of its beliefs and practices many of which "hold concrete solutions like the Agnihotra sacrificial fire for current problems like nuclear fallouts, the environmental crisis, religious intolerance, and so on."
Registration to attend the Hinduism Summit in person or online via live webcast is in full swing. Further details can be found at: www.HinduAwakening.org/events/toronto
Coconuts Restaurant opened its doors to the public on March 20 for the recent Phagwah celebration and what a rollicking event it turned out to be! This is a totally new trend that Coconuts has opened up and with its success, other restaurants and entertainment houses are likely to follow. The singing, eating and drinking and Phagwah-style socialization that took place with the 300 plus people present, was an excellent way to encourage and promote the culture. It was indeed a unique community service offered by Coconut's owners Kishore and Jenny. And now they're gearing up "Memories of the Dynamic Trio" an event to showcase talents of individuals who sing the songs of Mukesh, Kishore and Rafi. According to Kishore, there will be 3 preliminary rounds of competition which will lead up to a grand finale on Caribana Friday where contestants will share in cash prizes in excess of $10,000. The 1st preliminary competition will be on April 22 & 23, the 2nd preliminary on May 21 & 22 (Victoria Day Long Weekend) and the 3rd preliminary on June 18 & 19 (Fathers Day Weekend). The Grand Final will be on Friday July 29 (Caribana Friday). All preliminary competitions will be held inside Coconuts and admission will be free of charge. The grand final will be held at a venue to be determined.
The Indo Caribbean Golden Age Association hosted a lunch and entertainment session to celebrate Phagwah at the Agincourt Community Centre two Sundays ago. The seniors welcomed the opportunity to mix and mingle especially after a long winter. They exchanged Holi greetings and played Phagwah in traditional Caribbean style.
Lunch was suppliedd with the compliments of Mr and Mrs Len Sanichar who has been providing this service for the past several years.
Music was provided by David Singh on the keyboard, with Bhim Singh and Ramphal on the guitars and Rajen Aodan on the dholak. Ganga Persaud who recently launched his CD and Rabbie Rampersaud were among the singers. As the tempo stepped up the seniors wasted no time on moving to the dance floor to shake a leg.
Their next big event would be the Spring Fling Dance to be held on April 23, 2011. For information contact Mac Gurdial at 905-294-3564.
set on the PGA tournament
By Adit Kumar
"My goals are to be successful on the PGA tour in a few years." This is what youthful golf enthusiast Richard Persaud revealed during a recent chat with Indo Caribbean World. The University of Toronto (U of T) student has it all mapped out: "After U of T, I plan on working and dedicating myself to golf for two full years. I plan on trying to qualify for the PGA tour in 2014 if all goes well. It will be tough, but I can't wait."
Richard is currently enrolled in his final year at the university pursuing International Studies and Political Science and, having won the Arnold Palmer Scholarship in 2007 and 2010, skilfully juggles his studies with his sporting ambitions. The U of T scholarship, he says, recognizes athletic and academic excellence and gives him the opportunity to excel in both areas. While he loves what he is studying his first love seems to be golfing and he has adjusted well to balancing his studies with his golfing activities. He remarked: "At first the course load was a bit of a shock especially mixed with the traveling with the golf team but by my second year it was as if I had been doing it my whole life."
Richard is a co-captain of the University of Toronto Varsity Blues golf team and this allows him to compete across North America against the most elite schools. He finished 2nd at the Ontario University Championships last fall, which he said "is my best University result to date." He added, "I've won a number of local tournaments that includes the Toronto Junior City Championship and numerous Junior Interclub events."
That Richard takes his golfing really seriously is best reflected in his statement :"I credit my success to hard work and dedication and having a goal. I've put in countless hours, each day in the summer from 8 am to 9 pm, but at the same time I've surrounded myself with great people to keep me on track and grounded." His efforts certainly have paid off as his current handicap factor is 0.0. From 2005 – 2010 he maintained a tournament stroke average of around 75. In 2008 he scored 70 in the Canadian University Championship and 69 in the Ontario Junior Qualifier, while in 2009 he scored 66 in the Toronto Star Qualifier and 67 in the CJGA Humber Invite.
He is currently working closely with his swing coach, Dave Woods, golf instructor of Angus Glen golf club, to improve his golfing skills. He is also affiliated to the Cedar Brae Golf and Country Club and spends a lot of time there.
Richard says he has been around the golf course since he was 5 years old when he first tried his hand on the driving range. He played his first round of golf while he was in Florida for his 9th birthday and participated in his first tournament when he was 12 years old. Since then it was difficult to get him off the golf course. Richard is largely self motivated and said when he hit that first shot at age 12 "I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and I have continued to put in work to reflect that vision."
He credits his father, Dennis Persaud, an avid golfer, for introducing him to the game. "My dad loves to golf with me and we play maybe 10 times a year, but he loves to watch me play in tournaments and caddies for me when possible," Richard said. He is grateful to his entire family for giving him these golfing opportunities and encouraging him along. His mom, Satwati Persaud, and only and elder sister Trishana are among his best fans lending tremendous support both on and off the golf course.
Richard's love for the game saw him devoting much time to develop his skills which earned him the prestigious title of MVP in golf at High School from Grades 10 to 12. He did not allow his love for the game to distract him from his studies for during this same period of time he made the honour's roll and finally graduated from the Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute in 2007 as an Ontario Scholar. In that same year he was ranked 39th in the Junior rankings in Ontario. He went on to finish in the top 25 in 2008 Ontario Junior with scores of 77-78-72-77. He qualified in 2008 for Ontario Amateur as a junior and earned the ranking of 42 in Ontario that year.
His advice to young players is "to choose a goal and work hard to attain it. Nothing in life is free, especially in this game. Sometimes you have to do more with less, so we have to work twice as hard as the people who already have it made." He further advises young players to find an instructor who can help you develop your game as you could spend a lot of time in the field but not necessarily improving your skill. Its all about your dedication too he added.