Indian diaspora celebrate NRI’s video post of Ganga Aarti in Canada.
Indian diaspora celebrate NRI’s video post of Ganga Aarti in Canada. 
A Ganga Aarti ceremony on the Credit River in Mississauga, Canada, organized by Team Radio Dhishum, has sparked a debate. While many celebrated the event as a display of Indian culture and faith abroad, others question the appropriateness of performing the sacred ritual outside the Ganga River. The video has gone viral.
Notably, supporters emphasize the symbolic intention and cultural pride within the diaspora community.
Hinduism’s most sacred rituals, usually seen on the banks of the River Ganga in cities like Varanasi, Haridwar, and Rishikesh.
The ceremony featured Vedic chants, lighting of diyas (lamps), and ritual offerings, with visuals showing scores of devotees immersed in prayer and devotion.
The Consulate General of India in Toronto also attended, with Consul Sanjeev Saklani representing the mission. Sharing images from the evening on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the consulate described it as a “soulful evening of divine chants and pious mantras.
While many praised the ceremony as a beautiful display of Indian culture abroad, others questioned whether it was right to perform Ganga Aarti on a river other than the Ganga. One user commented, “Credit is not Ganga. What exactly are they worshipping?” Another wrote, “There is a reason it’s called Ganga Aarti. Doing it anywhere else changes its meaning.”
However, several people came to the organisers’ defence. Supporters called it a symbolic gesture, saying the ritual was more about intention and faith than geography. “Faith is about intention, not coordinates,” a user responded, applauding the diaspora for staying connected to their roots.
As per many attendees the ceremony was an emotional experience. An Indian-origin resident Priyanka Gupta shared a video on Instagram, calling it “the most magical evening in his 10 years of living in Canada. Her caption read,
“Not on the ghats of Varanasi or Haridwar, but right here in Canada.
The visuals, with chants of “Har Har Gange” echoing across the Canadian park, moved many online. For Indians living abroad, events like these are not only spiritual, they are a powerful reminder of home.
According to organisers thevEvent was held with cultural respect
The event was conducted with respectful rituals and environmental caution, with no reports of ecological damage or law violations.
The goal, supporters say, was to offer diaspora communities a space to express their faith, especially for younger generations growing up away from India.
This isn’t the first time an Indian cultural ritual has stirred online debate. A few weeks earlier, Indian tourists made headlines for performing Garba inside Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which also attracted mixed responses.
News Edit KV Raman
