Parade celebrates Brandon’s first Hindu temple

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This article was published 03/09/2024 (568 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A parade through Brandon on Saturday celebrated the inauguration of the first Hindu temple in the city.

Members of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple marched down 18th Street and Victoria Avenue on Saturday. It was a ceremony to show their gods around the city before entering the temple and consecrating the temple for its inauguration.

“The main purpose of that is to bless the community and the onlookers,” Kiran Parmar, outreach co-ordinator for the local community, told the Sun. “So the gods can be taken around the city and bless the city.”

More than 1,500 people attended the parade. Some travelled across provincial lines to show support, including from Toronto, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatchewan.

Temple member Raj Pandit said it was encouraging for locals.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime event for the community,” said Pandit. “We were really happy that we exceeded 1,500. Because that shows how people are joined and connected with each other … It does show how strong the community is coming together, and strengthens the connection with every city member.”

The parade down 18th Street was flush with a variety of traditional clothing. It served to represent the many different cultures and regions from which members originate, according to Parmar.

“They say, ‘Respect all, follow one,’” he said.

Different dance routines also served the same purpose. Waves of dancers organized by attire, sex and age symbolized a variety of cultures and formed a show that caught the attention of many onlookers in Brandon.

It wasn’t easy to do, according to member Yash Desai.

“We have seen so many people starting from 10 years old to 70 years old, all working toward the same thing. Whether it was the decorations, or the dances,” he said. “It was a huge success for us.”

Floats in the parade were made to represent sacred images in the Hindu religion. After being escorted around town, icons in the parade were brought into the temple to await consecration.

The parade started at the Keystone Centre and ended on Eighth Street at the BAPS temple. It was one of several ceremonies for the inauguration that took place over the weekend. The group started with prayers for world peace in the morning, Parmar said, and on Sunday gathered for a grand ceremony.

It has been a long time coming for some members.

“I remember when I came here 12 years ago — there were four people,” said Parmar.

The group was meeting in other members’ households. It then took to renting spaces before it eventually purchased the building at 327 Eighth St.

“What initially commenced as humble spiritual activities within homes has now grown into dynamic weekly assemblies, drawing an ever-expanding congregation of devotees,” reads the BAPS media release about the inauguration.

Reserving multiple blocks of 18th Street and Victoria Avenue for a parade was a big ask. But city officials worked well to make it happen, the outreach co-ordinator said.

“The mayor was very helpful, the police were very helpful and the firemen were very helpful.”

The official inauguration of the Hindu temple took place Sunday after the consecration ritual in the morning. A media release from the temple says the building will serve as a focal point for cultural and spiritual activities for the ever-growing community.

“BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is a volunteer-driven spiritual organization committed to fostering individual growth through Hindu values of faith, service and harmony,” wrote the temple. “It enriches society with the devoted efforts of tens of thousands of volunteers from diverse professional and social backgrounds.”

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