May 1979
Progress Report on Canadian Ganesha Shrine
Devam, Shanmuga
Early in the month of April work
was scheduled to begin on the Hindu Cultural Center in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada. The chairman of the building committee, Dr. Ramakrishna Gupta, has
met several times with the Canadian Church group concerning the
possibility of establishing a shrine for Lord Ganesha as an integral part
of the Center. It was learned recently that the Cultural Center will
contain a shrine room designed for a variety of uses. There will be an
empty pedestal upon which the Deity of each group's particular choice may
be placed, but not permanently installed. The Deities will be kept in a
nearby glass case when not in use.
Dr. Gupta was interested in the
proposal of the Canadian Saivites to see that a shrine be established for
Lord Ganapati. Master's original instruction was to house the Deity in a
simple outdoor shrine, open to the elements as one often finds Ganesha in
India and Sri Lanka. When the Canadians mentioned this, Dr. Gupta was
initially concerned for the exposure to weather. It was ultimately decided
that the shrine could be established near the entrance to the main
building and that it would eventually be enclosed by an addition to the
main building when construction was well under way. The shrine would them
become the sanctum sanctorum within a larger room.
Dr. Gupta has
proposed a plan in which the Canadian group in conjunction with the Tamil
people in the community would work with an architect to make provisions in
the master plan of the Center for the eventual addition to the main
building that would be required. The group is now working to form a
committee within the Tamil Association to effect this proposal as well as
to oversee the construction. The plan is to establish the small shrine
soon, and then let the worship and financial responses dictate what future
construction is feasible. Sushil Kalid is also supporting the effort in
Edmonton. He has suggested that the group have a special puja on the site
when the final details are in place to sanctify the Deity. This ceremony
is now planned to take place in July on or around Guru Purnima. The plan
calls for efforts to be concentrated on the informal establishment of the
shrine so that worship may begin without delay, to be followed by the more
formal and long-term efforts. For now the Deity will continue to be
carried from home to home as needed each week until installed. Such a
permanent installation may have to await further support in the area,
enough to merit a full-time pujari who might be brought in from India to
conduct the pujas. There are special immigration provisions in Canada
which provide for bringing into the country members of a religion when
there are no indigenous leaders. Once the Deity is installed it may not
then be moved.
The Canadian Saivites write that "Dr.
Sanmugasundaran's visit here last summer was the first gathering of a
religious nature to be held among the Edmonton Tamil community...In
learning of our weekly pujas and gatherings Dr. Shan has said, 'Lord
Ganesha is now literally in your midst all the while and therefore He will
lead you properly.'
Article copyright Himalayan
Academy.
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