On March 2nd, 2019 Radha Krishna Mandir of Kitchener, Ontario hosted their Chowtal Sammelan to commemorate the spring festival of Phagwah. Chowtal singing has remained strong here in Canada on account of Indo Caribbean Hindus who have migrated and brought this tradition with them to North America in the same way that their foreparents did when they travelled to the West Indies from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other parts of India.
On this occasion, Radha Krishna Mandir was host to Shree Haranarain Mandir and Shiv Sewa Sangh Mandir who presented Chowtals, Kabirs and Ularas together.
The evening started with opening prayers by Pandit Rudra Prashad Dhungana, the resident priest of Radha Krishna Mandir. This was followed by welcoming remarks by the host President, Bhai Dwarka Persaud. The Bal Vihar group from the host mandir led off with a high energy chowtal that glorified the Divine Mother. Its members were coached by Bhai Raj Ramkisoon whose beaming smile informed everyone how proud he was of the youngsters.
Pandit Manny of the Shree Haranarain Mandir and Bahen Nadira Ragunadan of Shiv Sewa Sangh Mandir both led their groups next. Both groups were anxious to show off their singing abilities and equally, their impressive attires.
It was then the turn of the host group to sing against the guests from the two visiting mandirs. Although the MC, Bhai Prakash Narine, pointed out that the sammelan was not an official competition, the energy and pomp that all the groups displayed, left no doubt that the spirit of competion was a driving force.
Competition aside, all three mandirs came together to sing Kabirs and Jogira in the true spirit of Phagwah where one mandir would pose or initiate a kabir verse and the other two mandirs would proffer responses. In the end this play of simulated rivalry to apparently outdo each other had the opposite effect of uniting the competing groups in camaraderie and togetherness.

The well attended event was also entertained by special guest Omesh Singh of the Wave Band. Although a professional performer in his own right, Omesh Ji interacted freely with the audience who joined with him as he sang some popular songs in addition to his own compositions. The leader of the Wave Band was ably backed up by his fellow Band member Steve Mohabir.
V.P. Bhai Vishnu Balbahadhur and Bhai Ram Persaud of Radha Krishna Mandir presented tokens of appreciation made by Impressive Print Solutions to the visiting mandirs and to Bhai Omesh and DJ Navin Singh of Tropic Flava. Bhai Navin broadcasted the event live on Guyana Chunes Radio.
Radha Krishna Mandir would like to thank Bahen Rajmini and Bahen Chalisa of Tropic TV for their coverage and Bhai Satishwar Persaud of Adana Homes Reality for facilitating and sponsoring the live broadcast on Guyana Chunes. The host mandir extends thanks to Pt Manny Mohabir, Pt Sahadeo, Pt Krishna Sukul, Pt Satish Sukul and Pt Amit Persaud for gracing the occasion.
The event ended with aarti and dinner, but the camaraderie and spirit of brotherhood generated amongst the devotees of the mandirs will last for a long time. Happy Holi to all.

By Vidur Dindayal
Phagwa is very special for me among all the Hindu festivals. It seems like the idyllic way of family and friends coming together to enjoy each other’s company, lovingly, respectfully, sharing nice things to eat and drink, chowtal singing, and crowning it all, the great fun of colouring each others’ lily white clothes and faces with abeer – magenta coloured water.
One of my best days as a child was seeing how our parents and friends celebrated Phagwa. It brought everybody together, like one big family. In those days people did not live as long as we do today. They valued enjoying Phagwa ‘this year ’ saying, ‘We don’t know whether we would live to see another Phagwa.’
It is nice to see that the word Phagwa which we of Guyana and the Caribbean use for Holi, is now in writings on the internet.
The Hindu calendar is replete with festival days, in line with Hindus’ five sacred duties – Panch Maha Yajnas: (1) Brahma Yajna –Worship of God; (2) Deva Yajna - Worship of Manifestations of God; (3) Pitr Yajna - Homage to Ancestors; (4) Bhuta Yajna - Homage to all Beings; and (5) Atithee Yajna - Homage to Humankind. These Yajnas are reflected in the festivals which are part of the Hindu’s life.
I pay a tribute to a fellow Guyanese, Pt. Ramsarran Sankar, who passed away a few years ago. He was the highly respected and revered priest of the Caribbean Hindu Cultural Society in London, UK. A Barrister, former magistrate in Guyana and a University Senior Lecturer in London, I regarded him as an elder brother and a mentor. Here is a brief note on the main Hindu festivals taken from one of his lectures on Hinduism.
Pongal. Coinciding with Makar Sankranti and Lohri, Pongal Sankranti is the only Hindu festival that follows a solar calendar. Pongal signals the end of the traditional farming season and celebration of the harvest with worship of the first fruit. It is the first of many festivals in the year.
Maha Shivratri. Celebrated in reverence of Lord Shiva. A vigil is kept all night with singing of bhajans in praise of Lord Shiva, the giver of boons. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated by one of the largest Hindu Pilgrimages outside of India in Mauritius – to Lake of Grand Bassin, known as Ganga Talao.
Phagwa. The whole community join in merrymaking, singing and dancing, spraying abeer, magenta coloured perfumed water on one another. Phagwa celebrates: triumph of godly son Prahalad over his father, the demon King Hiranyakashyipu; also the Spring harvest festival in the month of Phaalgun.
Ram Naumi. March/April. Celebration of Birth of Lord Rama, the most prominent incarnation (Avatar) of the Supreme Being, taking human form to be a model son, prince, husband and father and to destroy evil and restore righteousness; notable for his triumph over evil King Ravan.
Janm Ashtmi. Shri Krishna’s birth. Like Lord Rama, Lord Krishna is an avatar who appeared in time of great ‘spiritual’ need. Krishna came to protect the cows. He was born in a dungeon (of wicked king Kamsa).
Navaratri (nine nights) in October, is dedicated to the worship of the Goddess Durga. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as "Dussehra."
Divali, the festival of lights in October or November, celebrates Light over Darkness, Knowledge over Ignorance, and the triumph of Good over Evil. Diwali or Deepawali means 'Cluster of Lights', marks the beginning of a new year. Divine Mother Lakshmi is worshipped at Diwali.
The togetherness and strong sense of community engendered by Phagwa and other Hindu festivals is a vital contribution Hindus make towards fostering cohesion and a healthy supporting society.
Long may the celebration continue to be popular and may all, irrespective of ethnicity and faith, join in.

Spelling Bee of Canada/Épelle-Moi Canada’s Regional Competitions across Canada began on Saturday, March 2, and continue through Sunday, April 7, 2019. Over 4000 English and French spelling bee participants in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia will be competing for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place titles in three age divisions: Primary (ages 6-8), Junior (ages 9-11), and Intermediate (ages 12-14). Each first place Regional winner advances to the Canadian Championships, to be held in Richmond Hill, ON, on Sunday, May 5, 2019.
“With such strong participation again this year, the message is clear – spelling bees are good for our kids, youth and our communities,” says Dr. Nagina Parmar, President of Spelling Bee of Canada (SBOC). “With the support of parents, Chapter Presidents and volunteers, we’re encouraging young people to expand their vocabulary, communication skills and self-confidence by providing a foundation for future scholastic achievements through our theme of ‘Education + Perseverance = Success’.”
Incorporating technology to better meet the changing needs of participants and their families, is one of SBOC’s modernizations. Over the past months, bee participants have been preparing for the challenging words they will encounter by using SBOC’s web-based coaching app to practice anytime, anywhere, on any web-enabled device. This is just one of the many advancements the new board members are advocating.
“We’re thrilled to have passionate new board members join us this year. Coming from spelling bee backgrounds, they’re adding new perspectives, sharing their expertise and are dedicated to helping us reach our goals,” says Julie Spence, SBOC’s CEO and Founder. “As a registered charity, we depend on like-minded businesses, organizations and individuals to contribute time, materials, service and/or funds to make our spelling bees and educational programs possible.”
In its 32nd year, SBOC has welcomed over 50,000 children as spelling bee participants. SBOC, a not-for-profit grassroots organization, was established in the greater Toronto area in 1987 and led to the development of an Ontario Spelling Bee. Since then, SBOC has been promoting children and youth literacy with the mission to enrich the children and youth learning experience and engage schools and the community at large in an annual education process.
Long-term, SBOC plans on establishing chapters in each province and territory in order to create a National Spelling Bee, providing access to English and French language learning through their proprietary online platforms and ultimately engaging approximately one million participants across Canada.

The Government of Canada is recognizing RBC Royal Bank for its support of newcomers to Canada, including hiring newcomers, providing them with valuable advice about the local labour market, and assisting newcomer employees to advance in their careers and achieve their full potential.
The Toronto business was named today as one of 3 winners of the 2019 Employer Awards for Newcomer Employment for its exemplary work in helping newcomers find and retain jobs, and enhance their employment skills.
This year, RBC also released a free, easy-to-use platform called Arrive, where newcomer employees can access essential information on a variety of topics, from employment to housing, and have the ability to book time and chat with qualified specialists to help guide them through their transition to life in Canada.
Each year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, in collaboration with Hire Immigrants Ottawa, recognizes local businesses’ innovative efforts to improve the integration of newcomers into the labour market across Canada. This year’s winners – a small, medium and large employer – help reduce the barriers faced by newcomers entering the labour market and improve their overall settlement in Canada.
Winners were announced at the 2019 Employer Council of Champions Summit and Awards, organized by Hire Immigrants Ottawa. The summit brings together business, government and civic leaders to engage in a dialogue about the effective integration of refugees and immigrants into the labour force, and to celebrate employer excellence.

Frances-Anne Solomon’s award-winning feature film HERO - Inspired By The Extraordinary Life & Times Of Mr. Ulric Cross opened at TIFF Bell Lightbox to an enthusiastic sold-out audience on February 28. Now by popular demand, HERO will have a limited run in Toronto at Imagine Carlton Cinema from March 29 - April 4, 2019.
The Toronto Limited Engagement is being co-presented by local Black Community organizations including The United Negro Association (UNIA), The Mighty Race, The Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA), Fathers 4 Fathers, United Achievers Community Services, Young & Potential Fathers, and online magazine ByBlacks.com. Screenings will be followed by a Talk Back session with the Director and Canadian based actors.
“After spending such a long time making the film, it is really gratifying to get such overwhelmingly positive and passionate feedback from audiences,” says Canadian filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon. “Since the TIFF premiere, we have been to screen HERO in locations across Canada and around the world.
An earlier cut of HERO had its festival launch on home turf at the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival in September 2018, where it won the festival’s coveted Audience Choice Award and was met with rave reviews. Earlier that month, a sold-out special preview screening in Toronto had paved the way for HERO’s historic launch, as the first Black Canadian film to have a cinematic release this year.
Screening dates have been announced for Ottawa and the UK.

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