Watch: NRIs recreate Ganga Aarti on Canadian riverbank, stir mixed reactions online

Mint

6 hours ago

In a heartfelt tribute to Indian traditions, members of the Indian diaspora in Canada recently organised a grand Ganga Aarti along the banks of the Credit River in Mississauga. The event, reminiscent of the iconic rituals held in Varanasi, Rishikesh and Haridwar, brought together scores of devotees dressed in traditional attire.
The ceremony was hosted by Radio Dhishum and attended by Consul Sanjeev Saklani from the Indian Consulate in Toronto. The consulate shared glimpses of the event on X, calling it a 'soulful evening of divine chants and pious mantras.'
'Consul Sanjeev Saklani represented the Consulate at the Ganga Aarti… organised by Team @RadioDhishum,' the post read, along with several pictures capturing the spiritual fervour of the evening.
One of the attendees, Instagram user Priyanka Gupta, shared a video that has now gone viral. 'In all my 10 years in Canada, this was the most magical evening,' she wrote. 'Not on the ghats of Varanasi or Haridwar, but right here in Canada.'
'Living abroad doesn't mean letting go of who we are. The soulful chants of 'Har Har Gange' echoed across the park,' she added, describing the experience as a moving slice of India brought to life far from home.
However, the video sparked mixed reactions online. While many praised the community for keeping Indian traditions alive abroad, some questioned whether such rituals could affect the local environment, with concerns raised about potential pollution of the Credit River.
'Happy to see, India and Canada culturally getting connected,' a user commented.
'What a beautiful coverage. We are so overwhelmed hearing this,' another user wrote.
However, several users had a different opinion on the video, 'This is a tad bit too much , where is ganga and where is Canada ? We should be religious but at the same time, think where you are, respect their land and country, doing these things there only shows how fragile and religion dependent we Indians are.'
'Aren't you supposed to have Ganga arti on banks of river 'Ganga'? Don't just make fun of anything, looses the value it holds,' another user wrote.
'There is a reason it is called Ganga Aarti. Doing aarti in front of any river doesn't make it Ganga Aarti. If you crave for it so much, return to your own country and do it,' the third user commented.