Ganga Aarti in Canada! NRIs perform ritual on Canadian riverbank, netizens react

In a rare event, the Indian community in Canada held a grand Ganga Aarti on the banks of Credit River in Mississauga on Tuesday. 

“Consul Sanjeev Saklani represented the Consulate at the Ganga Aarti, a soulful evening of divine chants and pious mantras at the banks of the Credit River at Erindale Park, Mississauga organised by a local radio,” as per India in Toronto on X.

Soon after the event went viral on social media, netizens seemed divided.

A user wrote, “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.”

While another wrote, “Happy to see India and Canada culturally getting connected.”

An X user shared an image of diya lamps in the Credit River with the caption, “This river will also not be spared like in India. Just a couple of weeks ago found this littering the Credit river. It’s not the first time.”

One user wrote, “Symbolic. Ganga is everywhere. Any water body is Ganga.  Thousand of years back.. when no maps were there.. the only river known was Gangaji. But respect comes from within  and not rituals.”