About Us
History
In the early 90s, a wave of Tamils from Sri Lanka migrated to the Region of Waterloo. This was mainly due to the civil war taking place during that time in the South asian island. In the fall of 2000, some members of this small community of twenty-odd families decided to hold monthly Bhajans, Thevarams and other hindu rituals within the community and opened up their homes for the ceremony. Large scale gathering were held mostly at Christ Lutheran Church Hall of Waterloo and Ram Dham Hindu temple of kitchener.
In April 2002, His Holiness the Chief Priest, Thiru Thiyagaraja Kurual from Durga Thevasthanam of Toronto visited Waterloo at the invitation of the community. A special pooja ceremony was held at Lutheran Hall in Waterloo, Ontario.
A small group of devotees continue to monthly bhajans at Radha Krishna Mandir, Cambridge and Sai Bakthi Dam in Kitchener. Vilaku Poojai and other festivities take place.
Thirupugal Annbargal community of Toronto held Thirupugal secession at Lutheran Hall in Waterloo. Tara Mami, Prof. S. Pasupathi and others graced the occasion.
In 2020, a large migration of South Indian Tamils occurred to the Waterloo Region. The temple project rejuvenated the idea of establishing a South Indian-style temple in the Waterloo region. It was reviewed on April 04, 2023, at a meeting at 279 Stoke Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. A new committee was formed, and the registration process commenced.
Vision
Our Murugan temple will be a hub and unite all Hindu devotees in the Waterloo-Wellington & Guelph region. It will be the first dravidian or South Indian style temple in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The temple will strive to be inclusive, and the facilities will be available to all community members who believe and respect Hindu Vedic teachings. It will meet the spritual needs of the Tamils, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and others who follow the same style of worship.
Plan A: To obtain a small rental space in the region.
Plan B: Purchase a land within the region.
- Phase 1: Build a small Dravidian or South Indian style temple.
- Phase 2: Community and Recreational Center: Mainly for Spots, Wedding, Cultural and Social needs of the community at large. Indoor sports facility will include Badminton, Volleyball and Outdoor grounds for Cricket, Soccer etc.
- Phase 3: Seniors Home: Independent living, Assisted and respite care for seniors.
Mission
The mission of Sri Murugan Temple of Waterloo Region & Community Center (SMTWR) is to cater to all Saiva Hindu devotees who migrated from South India, Sri lanka in the region of Waterloo, Ontario and fellow Canadians a place to worship and celebrate their culture. The spiritual,cultural development needs will be based on South Indian traditions.
SMT Community Center: A recreational and Cultural complex to meet the growing needs of the community at large. It will be under Phase 2. It will be operated and manage independently.
Objective
- Strive to full fill the growing needs of our society to obtain the understanding of rich Hindu religious traditions, culture, Arts and philosophy.
- Operate a place for South Indian-style Hindu worship and conducting activities.
Committee
| Sivakumar Somasundram | PRESIDENT |
|---|---|
| Santhanakrishnan Ramraj | VICE PRESIDENT |
| Sushma Sri Rao | SECRETARY |
| Ken Shrishankar | TREASURER |
| Yoga Arumugam | ASST. SECRETARY |
| Balakrishnan Thambapillai | |
| Balamurugan Balasubramanian | |
| Sivapathan Prabhu | |
| Nagasubramaniam Kumarappan | |