Hundreds of members of Toronto’s Hindu community gathered at the Pearson Convention Centre in Brampton on Sunday to support a fundraiser to build a new temple.
Dwarka Persaud, president of Radha Krishna Mandir Cultural Centre, thanked the crowd of about 500 people.
“The support we’ve received up to this point has been instrumental in bringing us to this point. It’s truly heartening to witness the impact of your generosity, and we sincerely appreciate the role you’ve played in advancing our mission,”
The Radha Krishna Mandir & Cultural Centre (RKMCC) started performing congregational worship services in 1989 at St. Michael’s Public School. A year later they purchased their current building in July 1990.
As of April 2024, the Mandir has been working on the construction of a 21,000-sq-ft faculty that will include classrooms, a bigger parking lot, yoga and meditation rooms, musical classrooms, a library and a performance space.
The event was sponsored by five different companies, including Meadowbank Asset Management Inc. which had some of their team members in attendance.
Rawn Lakhan, president and CEO of Meadowbank, says he feels lucky to be a sponsor of an event that goes toward supporting both the Hindu religion and culture.
“We’re proud to be sponsors of today’s event. We recognize the Mandir’s important role in serving the growing Hindu community in the Waterloo region and the need to expand its facilities to accommodate the community,” said Lakhan.
“For us at Meadowbank, we believe their success can be equated to our own philosophy — goal attainment is equal to reality divided by expectations,” he said.
The fundraiser featured performances from both the centre’s senior and junior youth groups and special guests that are prominent figures in the Hindu community.
One was Hindu Priest Munelal Maharaj who’s wife sung alongside him.
“I admire this group of people supporting each other. This is what it’s about, having each other’s backs. It is amazing, almost mesmerizing to have everyone here together,” Maharaj said.
The event raised close to $15,000 by the end of the night. The temple says it needs $3-million to complete construction of elevator installations, grading, brick work, washrooms, alarm and security system and hookup for water and sewer.
Indie Mahadeo attended the fundraiser and says she’s proud to give back to her community.
“It’s times like this where the community has to come together. We all have the same goal and want to lift each other up so getting to show my support and see everyone show up for this cause feels right,” she said.