GURUVAYURAPPAN TEMPLE OF BRAMPTON A TEMPLE FOR HUMANITY A timeline of the historic facts & landmarks October 2013 The journey Atbutha Saanthi Homam starts here and Khananaadi August 2013 Mid 1990s Third Karishanam Beginning of a dream April 2013 July 1999 Approval of site plan application Corporation registered Bought 10.2 acres of land June-July 2011 June 2002 First Sapthaham Guruvayurappan Temple of Brampton May 2011 GTOB Timeline registered Ownership and land (2 acre) 2006 transferred to GTOB Temporary July 2010 location at Caledon Arrival of Thirumeni Kariannur Mana Second Karishanam Divakaran Namboothiri with family Oct. 2009 2007 Opening of GTOB at its temporary location First Karishanam and Bhoo Parigraham Late 2008 March 2008 Visit by Vezhaparambu Brahmadattan Namboothiri, Application for Vastu and Temple construction rezoning approved expert from Kerala Formation of GTOB chapters – 16 in Canada and 13 in US 2 / 18 GURUVAYURAPPAN TEMPLE OF BRAMPTON PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE A temple of tomorrow I was glad when Mr. Paul Snape, Acting Director, Land Development Services, City of Brampton wrote to us, on 19th April 2013, stating that our “site plan application has been approved!” and City’s Legal Services Department was asked to draft the agreement that Guruvayurappan Temple of Brampton (GTOB) had to execute. GTOB had to deposit an amount equal to the estimated cost of recommended grading, landscaping, parking etc. as a “guarantee” to be refunded once the work is completed to the satisfaction of the city officials. Subsequent changes suggested or made by City and GTOB resulted in further delay by more than one year. We have made modifications to the maximum extent possible, to reduce the cost to affordable levels and to minimize both the debt load and time for construction. I am happy to say that there will be no more revisions! Our site plan application with the above changes has been approved in principle and our consulting engineers are busy completing the final application for the building permit. Once it is granted, tender and ground breaking will follow, hopefully before this winter and construction will begin thereafter. We will strive to complete the construction to the fullest satisfaction of our Guru and Thanthri Kariannur Mana Divakaran Namboothiri. Remember what Mr. L. Girishkumar said, “it is not the efforts, money or commitment of you devotees, but it is the devotion and dedication of your Thanthri that will make this temple a reality”. Of course it is the continued presence, faith and participation of you devotees at this temple that will add to the glory, power and fame of the deity which will entice and soothe generations to come. Our dream is to build a “temple of tomorrow”, evolving with and adapting to the changing times and needs of our children. All children of God must feel welcome, safe, and at home within its bounds. Let this temple be a shining model to all places of worship in this universe and become an umbrella and asylum for the needy irrespective of their country of origin, colour or faith. It is our motto. Let it be a symbol of Sanathana Dharma, promoting universal brotherhood, love and world peace. Dr. P. Karunakaran Kutty 3 / 18 GURUVAYURAPPAN TEMPLE OF BRAMPTON Sri Kariannur Mana Divakaran Namboothiri Message from our Thirumeni A\h[n t£{X§fpÅ Cu tZiv \½psS Kpcphmbqc¸sâ t£{Xw BhiyamtWm? XoÀ¨bmbpw BhiyamWv. temIkwkvImcn\v `mcXnsâ kw`mh\ hfsc hepXmWv. AXn tIcfnsâ kw`mh\ \s¶ sNdpXÃ. i¦cmNmcyÀ, ]Zva]mZmNmcyÀ, N«¼nkzmanIÄ, {io\mcmbWKpcp, Nnbm\Pn XpS§n A\h[n Kpcp¡msc tIcfn\pw XZzmcm `mcXn\pw temIn\pw kw`mh\ sNbvXXv tIcfamWv. Chsc FÃmw hfÀnb tIcfnsâ a®n Bgv¶nd§nbXmWv t£{X§fpw t£{XkwkvImc§fpw. Ie, Irjn, hnZym`ymkw, hnhmlw A¶{]mi\w XpS§n PohnXtmSp _Ôs¸S ]eXpw t£{Xs Npän¸änbmWv \S¶p h¶Xpw \S¡p¶Xpw. B t£{X§fn {][m\s¸« Øm\w KpcphmbqÀ t£{Xn\p−v. IrjvWm Kpcphmbqc¸m F¶p hnfnbv¡m lnp aebmfnIÄ Ds−¶p hnizknbv¡m³ {]bmkw. tIcfkwkvImcnsâ ]e CgIfpw Kpcphmbqc¸\pambn _Ôs¸«XmWv F¶Xv kwita CÃmXmWv F¶À°w. ]e kwkvImc§Ä DÄs¡mÅm³ X¿mdmbncnbv¡p¶ I\Ubv¡v \½psS kwkvImcnsâ cpNn ImgvN shbv¡mXncnbv¡p¶Xv \ap¡v `£Whpw hmkØm\hpw Xcp¶ Cu a®nt\mSpw `cWkwhn[m\tmSpw Im«p¶ s\dntISmbnncpw. {_mw]vS\nse Kpcphmbqc¸³t£{Xhpw [À½kwØm]\n\v th−n AhXcn¨ `Khm³ IrjvWsâ km¶n²yhpw Cu cm{ãn\v \½psS kwkvImcw ImgvNshbv¡m³ \s½ {]m]vXcm¡s«. cmãn\p kwkvImcw ImgvNshbv¡pI am{Xaà Imcyw. \ap¡v t£{Xn t]mbn F¶ A\p`hw D−mIWsa¦n \½Ä ioen¨ hn[nepÅ hnf¡pw amebpw Ccp«pw shfn¨hpw im´Xbpw DÅ t£{Xap−mIWw. PohnXnsâ hnhn[ hyYIfn £oWnbv¡pt¼mÄ B{ibn¡m³ tIcfnsâ XWepÅ \½ptSXmb t£{Xw thWw. GsXmcp hkvXphpw \½ptSXmIsW¦n AXn\pth− A²zm\hpw k¼pw Cdt¡−Xp−v. CXv sN¿msX ^ew am{Xw A\p`hn¡p¶Xv Ah\ht\mSpw XZzmcm `Khmt\mSpw DÅ A]cm[amIpw. \ap¡v \½psS Kpcphmbqc¸sâ ap¶n A]cm[`mhtmsS AÃmsX sXmgpXp\n¡m³ Ahkcap−mIWw. 4 / 18 GURUVAYURAPPAN TEMPLE OF BRAMPTON Sri Kariannur Mana Divakaran Namboothiri Message from our Thirumeni Is a temple dedicated to our Lord Guruvayurappan necessary amid the numerous temples found throughout this country? Absolutely! India’s cultural contribution to the civilization and cultural development of the rest of the world is vast and immeasurable, and Kerala’s role is by no means trivial. Eminent Gurus like Sankaracharya, Padmapadacharyar, Chattampi Swamikal, Sree Narayana Guru, Chinmayananda and several others are Kerala’s gift to India, and the world. Kerala, the land that gave birth to these Gurus, is characterized by thousands of Khshetras (temples) and the culture surrounding these Khshetras. Art and culture, agriculture, education, marriage and everything closely intertwined with life have always revolved and flourished around temples and continue to do so even today. Amongst all the temples of Kerala the Guruvayur temple holds a unique and prominent place. “Krishnaa-Guruvayurappaa” - it is hard to believe that there is a Hindu Malayalee who has not called out thus to Lord Guruvayurappan, lending credence to the fact that the different facets of Kerala’s culture is closely related to Lord Guruvayurappan. It will be gross injustice not to share the rich Malayalee culture of ours with this land that wholeheartedly accepts and appreciates multiculturalism, and has also provided us Keralites with food, shelter and the right to domicile. Let us all pray that the Brampton Guruvayurappan Temple and the presence of Lord Krishna, who took avatar to establish Dharma, will enable us to contribute and share our traditions with this country. Contribution of our culture alone to this land should not be the sole purpose. A temple with an environment that we are familiar with - lighted lamps, garlands, darkness and light, and tranquility – must come into existence in order for us to experience the feeling of having been to a temple. A temple fashioned on our own Kerala traditions will provide us the much needed solace when we grow weary and burdened on our life journey. Financial resources and considerable effort are required in order to possess or own anything. To enjoy the fruits without any contribution is a sin not only to oneself but also to God. Let us all strive for the opportunity to pray before our Lord Guruvayurappan without any feelings of guilt. 5 / 18 GURUVAYURAPPAN TEMPLE OF BRAMPTON A TEMPLE FOR HUMANITY Some historic facts & landmarks Charaprathishta at the Caledon location Mid 1990s: Beginning of a dream by a few devotees! To recommended during secondary planning. build a temple like the one in Guruvayur. Secondary planning had to be in place for the entire area Search for a suitable parcel of land continued for 2-3 before it could be developed and was expected to take years without success. Money certainly was an issue! 2-3 years. This did not materialise and development was Land within the city limits was becoming very expensive. stalled due to lack of sufficient infrastructure. Lands just outside city limits were available, for as low as $50,000.00 for 20 acres! But the members of the small GURUVAYURAPPAN TEMPLE OF BRAMPTON interest group were not able to spend $2,000 to $4,000 was registered on 5th June 2002, with Charitable status per family! Some available lands were too far away! and permission to raise 4 million dollars to build the temple. There was very little momentum for the next 2-3 On 16th July 1999, five of us registered a corporation years without a focus for activity. and in Aug. 1999 boldly bought a 10.2 acre parcel of land at the NE corner of Torbram Rd. and Countryside 2006: A temporary location for starting the temple Dr., paying the asking price. Rather than keeping to became available in Caledon due to the generosity of two ourselves for future profit, we offered every one interested devotees and we got preliminary blessings from the City an opportunity for partnership in this venture and we of Caledon. Unfortunately, because of environmental and found 24 other like minded devotees as share holders. political factors and the so called Green Belt Legislation Agreeing to donate up to 2 acres of land, free of cost, that soon ensued, the City of Caledon could not give us for the construction of GTOB was the pre-requisite for the required permission to designate this building as our becoming a share holder. temple. We were allowed to use it as the residence of our priest and conduct poojas and other activities without This land was zoned agricultural but designated for attracting the attention or displeasure of the neighbours.