Hindu Heritage Month throughout October in US, Canada
Dharma based organisations like those of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain traditions from around the world have announced the addition of another major festival, indeed an entire month of festivals, in October as the Hindu Heritage Month
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Giving a world an opportunity to the world to understand how open and free Hindu philosophy is, which is quite often misrepresented by the tag 'religion', the World Hindu Council of America has announced to celebrate the entire month of October as the Hindu heritage Month.
Hindus are one of the newest and fastest-growing immigrant communities in the United States and Canada. Backed by a rock-solid family structure and love for education, they are fully integrated into every aspect of their adopted society, enriching it with not only outstanding professional contributions but also rich cultural heritage.
Based on the 'open source' model, the celebration of Hindu Heritage Month will showcase the diversity that is so fundamental to Hindu civilisation. Each participating organisation will decide the manner as well as the schedule of their events. On a given day, there may be several events taking place in different parts of the United States and Canada. Celebrations may take many forms- cultural programs, fashion shows, webinars, multi-day conferences, walkathons and more, the choices being limited only by our imagination. Some events may be conducted in person but the majority will be virtual, given the Covid-19 situation.
Participation is open to all organisations, businesses and individuals that identify with the sanatana values embodied in Hindu dharma. As per the reports, more than 30 organisations have already joined hands in this exciting celebration of our shared heritage; many more are expected to join in the near future.
Dr Jai Bansal, Vice President of the World Hindu Council of America, and one of the organisers of this event, underscores the fact that the Hindu community is, by nature, rather unassuming. However, with second and third generations now making their mark in their adopted lands, the time has come for the Hindu community to come out of their shell and talk about its rich cultural heritage and important role in making the multitude of contributions to every aspect of the fabric of the adopted lands.
Putting the celebration in perspective, General Secretary of the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) Amitabh VW Mittal said, “The Vedic sanatana dharma which is, with a limited capacity of understanding, referred to as Hinduism represents the only continuous civilisation that has survived the test of time for tens of thousands of years. There is no single book that one can consult to get what the Hindu philosophy is, as it is constantly evolving and its contribution to human civilisation is unmeasurable; its vibrance in fact runs the risk of being misinterpreted.”
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