Hindu Festivals and
Sacraments in Ontario
By: T. Venkatacharya
From: Polyphony Vol.12, 1990 pp. 99-102
© 1991 Multicultural History Society of Ontario
The celebration of yearly cycles of Hindu festivals in Ontario is convincing
proof of the dynamism of Hinduism in the province. The extraordinary number
of festivals, each with its regional variant, indicates the complexity of
Hindu rituals and beliefs and is a microcosm of the pluralism of Hinduism
in India. This essay describes Hindu worship and ritual through a South
Indian perspective, but the pan-lndian aspects of Hindu festivals are also
evident.
The rich diversity of Hindu religious life is represented by Hindu families
living in Ontario in their mode of worship during festival times. The Hindus
who have settled in Ontario are a nebulous group; they originate from different
regions of India with distinct social, religious, and linguistic subcultures.
For instance a Hindu from Bengal, with few exceptions, will not celebrate
the same festivals as a Hindu from Tamilnadu.
Hindu immigrants to Canada earnestly perpetuate their regional religious
traditions at home. They want their children to understand and experience
the religious ceremonies and customs. For adult Hindus, the celebration
of the festivities and the worship of the gods that takes place on that
occasion, is very much a part of their heritage. Hindus sustain their cultural
and religious needs by such celebrations.
In Toronto there are several associations1 based on Indian regional and
linguistic affiliations. One of the functions of such associations is to
assemble their members to celebrate religious festivals peculiar to their
regions in India. The Bengali associations, for instance, will celebrate
"Durga Puja," one of the main festivals of Bengal. The Maharashtrians
emphasize the Ganesh festival, whereas the Hindus of Kerala celebrate the
Onam. Thus, each regional unit has its preferences with regard to the type
of festival it celebrates. Cutting across the regional boundaries are the
"all-India" festivals, such as Divali, shared by all Hindus of
India. Thus, Toronto Hindu religious activities are a microcosm of what
takes place in India. However, as a result of Hindu immigrant settlement
in Ontario, there is increasing "cross-pollination" of festivals;
i.e. Hindus of different regions have begun to enjoy, celebrate, and participate
in each other's festivals, which were unknown to them back home in India!
Hindus celebrate the festivals in Ontario in their home first amidst the
family and relatives. Friends and neighbours may join in to witness the
rituals and festivities. For groups larger than the family, such events
are celebrated by congregating in community halls, school buildings, or
more recently, in newly built Hindu temples. I describe below some of the
festivals that are being celebrated with great vigour in Toronto.
The spring festival is observed chiefly by North Indians. By throwing coloured
powders and water at each other, people re-enact Lord Krsna's youthful frolics.
The Tiru Onam festival belongs to Kerala and is not observed by the people
of the Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu areas. By contrast, the Festival of Toys
is celebrated only in the Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu areas; neither Keralites
nor North Indians celebrate it. But Toronto Hindus from all parts of India
join in the celebrations of both the festivals when given the opportunity.
Dipavali or Divali2 is an all-India festival of light. The festivities last
for two to three days. It is the happiest occasion for Toronto Hindus, although
its associations with particular gods and goddesses of Hinduism varies from
region to region. Theologically, it represents the triumph of the gods in
curbing evil. The goddess of wealth is worshipped for prosperity, and family
ties are strengthened through various rituals during the Divali days.
According to the Hindu doctrine of reincarnation, God periodically comes
to earth and saves humanity from disaster. The epic hero and god Rama was
such an incarnation. The festival known as "Sri Rama-Navami" commemorates
the birth of Rama, and "Sri Krsnastami" or "Gokulastami":
that of the god Krsna. The gods Rama and Krsna are represented symbolically
in pictures or icons. The gods' "birthdays" are celebrated at
home by South Indians who invite close friends with their families to participate
in the event. Sanskrit prayers are recited on Sri Rama and on Sri Krsna.
Women sing devotional poems in Sanskrit and Telugu by Sri Tyagaraja, Sri
Muttu Swami Diksitar, and Sri Syama Sastrigal. Poems of Sri Purandara Dasa
written in the language called Kannada and songs of medieval Tamil poets
are recited on this occasion. Sri Tulasi Das' Hindi poems, too, are sung
by some Hindi-speaking people. The singing of devotional poems is an integral
part of the household festivities on the birthdays of the gods Ram and Krsna,
especially among south Indian Hindu families in Toronto, Ottawa, and other
parts of Ontario.
In Toronto there are other popular religious festivals that are performed
by Hindus mostly at home. The Durga-Puja is an annual celebration of the
goddess Durga who is the destroyer of the demon. This is the most flamboyant
of all public Hindu festivals of Bengal.
In the Nava-Ratri-Puja, the worship of the deity is performed during either
of two nine-night periods. The "Vijaya-Dasami", or "Dasara",
which closely follows the "Nav-Rati", celebrates the victorious
return of the epic hero and god Rama to Ayodhya after killing the demon
Ravana. The "Sarasvati-Puja" is the worship of the goddess of
learning and the fine arts, and the "Laksmi-Puja" is worship of
the goddess of wealth.
The "Vinayaka-Caturthi" is the festival in honour of Ganesa/Vinayaka,
the elephant-headed son of the divine couple Siva and Parvati. Other festivals
are held in honour of Skanda, or Kartikeya, general of the gods and son
of Siva; and to propitiate snakes. The "Siva-Ratri" is a major
Hindu festival that celebrates the marriage of god Siva to the goddess Parvati.
"Sankranti", the festival celebrating the beginning of the sun's
northward movement, is considered the beginning of the more auspicious half
of the year. The Hindu New Year's day celebration in April, is observed
mostly in South Indian households in Toronto.
Offerings of flowers and fruits are part of the worship of the presiding
god or goddess during his or her festival. A camphor flame is moved with
reverence in front of the deity in a clockwise manner. This ritual, known
as "arati" in the regional languages, is an act of adoration of
the glory of the god almighty for his various deeds. Immediately after the
performing of arati, the camphor flame is brought near the worshippers who
one by one, bring their palms near the flame and then towards their eyes
and forehead. This is symbolic of the partaking of the quintessence of divinity.
The vegetarian food that is offered to the god on that occasion is later
distributed to those present as a token of divine blessings.
A special ceremony known as "Satya-Narayana-Puja", that is, worship
of the supreme deity (literally "truth-god"), is observed by some
Toronto families in their homes. A Hindu priest is employed on this occasion
for the puja. People recite prayers such as the "Visnu-Sahasra-Nama-Stotra."
The priest recites some Vedic prayers connected with the "Ganesa-Puja,"
an act of homage to Ganesh, who is considered a remover of obstacles and
is worshipped at the beginning of an elaborate ceremony. The priest also
recites "Nava-Graha-Puja," or homage to the deities of the nine
planets. The planets are thought to have influence over human events. All
of this forms part of the "Satya-Narayana Puja." A guest speaker,
chosen from among the members of the host family or a close friend, may
give a brief talk about some aspect of the Hindu religion as illustrated
in the stories linked with the Satya-Narayana Puja. This might be the story
of Ajamila, or of Dhruva, a son of King Uttanapada of the Svayambhuva-Manu
dynasty. Talks of this type are intended to inform the children about Hindu
religious and traditional beliefs and customs.
Some Hindus perform in their homes such basic life-cycle sacramental rites
as the "Upanayana," or investiture of a boy with sacred thread
symbolizing his initiation into Vedic studies, or the marriage, "vivaha,"
of their sons or daughters. These sacramental rites need not be held in
the temples, but can be performed at home with the fire god as a witness.
On each such occasion a special fire is kindled. The entire ceremony is
accompanied by the recitation of the Vedic verses by the priest.
The lively Hindu religious festivals and the sacraments are observed faithfully
and enthusiastically by Hindu families in Ontario. This should not come
as a surprise since all these festivals revitalize their associations with
their homeland, their traditions and their culture. They also serve as social
gatherings that help to preserve social ties among the members of the Hindu
diasopora community.
"Subham Bhuyat," auspicious greetings to everyone.
NOTES
1.The names of some of these are Bharatikalamanram, Kannada Samgha, Kerala
Association, Maharashtra Bhashik Mandal, and Gujarati Association.
T. Venkatacharya is Professor Emeritus of Sanskrit at the
University of Toronto.
Website design: TG Magazine, 1996