As we approach the first frost on Thanksgiving, Canada's Rajput community festively celebrates the warmth of Dussehra. The organising team of this event comprised of Parakram Singh Jhala, Navneet Singh Dodiya, Yogeshvar Pratap Singh and Bharat Singh Rathore. The event took place in Etobicoke, Ontario, where Rajputs from different cities and provinces of Canada gathered to celebrate the festival and its cultural heritage.
The excitement was tremendous.
The gathering was a colourful one, with men attired in safas, padgis, jamas, shervani-salvar, Jodhpuri suits; and women gracefully adorning the traditional poshak. The event commenced with everyone being welcomed with a tilak, followed by the shastra pooja and traditional dances.
The Rajput shastra pooja symbolises paying a devoted homage to the proactive weapon or shastra. The team had organized the puja in a manner that everyone received the chance to perform shastra rituals. After the puja, women indulged in the traditional dance of ghoomar. The graceful swirls and twirls ushered by the dance form spread an aura of regal elegance. From individual performances to adorning the hall with group ghoomar performances was a sight that took one back to their native roots.
Many royal dignitaries, politicians and celebrities addressed the event from India to encourage, support and celebrate the spirit of Dussehra. In Canada, Mayor Patrick Walter Brown (Former leader of the official opposition & MPP, 3 term MP, 2 term city councillor) graced the occasion. Rajputs from various provinces across India glorified and honoured the festival under one roof, showcasing Rajput unity and strength. The overwhelming love, respect and overall response that the event received made it the idea of Rajput solidarity in Canada clearly known. Moreover, the added support from political leaders and famed celebrities from within the community imparted a stronger sense of identity, belonging and purpose.
List of Guest connected virtually from India are listed below : -
Maharaj Kumar Vishvaraj Singh Ji Udaipur-Mewar
HH Raj Rajeshwar Maharajdhiraj Maharaja Padma Vibhushan Shri Dr. Karan Singh Bahadur Indar Mahindar Sipar-i-Saltanat-i-Inglishia, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir (Former Union Minister of India and former Ambassador of India to the United States of America)
HH Raj Rajeshwar Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Hindustan Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Gaj Singhji II Sahib Bahadur of Jodhpur-Marwar (Former High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean States, and Cmsnr for Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Is, Cayman Is, and the British Virgin, MP (Rajya Sabha))
H.H. Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Mahi-Mahendra Maharao Raja Shri Ijyaraj Singh Bahadur, of Kotah
HH Samrajya Maharajadhiraja Bandhresh Shri Maharaja Pushparaj Singh Ju Deo Bahadur of Rewa
HH Maharana Maharaja Shri Raj Dr. Jayasinhji Mayurdhwajsinhji Sahib [Jawahir Dev Sahib], of Dhrangadhra (Ph.D from Harvard, Professor in Temple University)
HH Mahendra Maharaja Ragvendra Singh Ju Deo Bahadur, Maharaja of Panna
HH Maharaja Saheb Kamal Chandra Bhanj Deo of Bastar
HH Raja Ranvijay Pratap Singh Ju Deo of Jashpur (Former Member of Parliament)
Raja Shri Aishwarya Chand Katoch of Kangra
Raja Digvijay Singh Raghogarh (Member of Rajya Sabha, Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh)
Raja Maheshwar Singh Ji Kulu (Former Member of Parliament Kulu, MLA and President of BJP Himachal Pradesh )
Yuvraj Sahab Harendrapal Singh Ji Vaghela of Poshina
HH Maharani Radhika Rajye of Baroda (Princess of Wankaner)
Princess Diya Kumari Ji Jaipur (Member of Parliament)
Princess Mohena Kumari Rewah (Indian Actresses)
Yuvrani Saheba Priyamvada Kumari of Talcher(Baisa of Meja)
Maharaj Kumari Bapu Lalji Lakshmi Kumari Sahiba of Ratlam
Honorable Union Minister Anurag Thakur (Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports)
Honorable Union Minister Narendra Singh Ji Tomar (Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare)
Honorable Former Chief Minister Shankar Singh Ji Vaghela of Gujarat
Maharaj Kumar Dr. Ranjitsinhji Wankaner (He served Chairman of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI); Dir-Gen CAPART; Dir. and Regional Co-ordinator WWF Tiger Conservation Programme (TCP). Regional Adviser in Nature Conservation (Asia & Pacific) for UNEP. Trustee The Corbett Foundation, member National Forest Commission, Indian Institute of Forest Management Society, International Tropical Timber Organization, Madhya Pradesh State Wildlife Board until 2006)
HE Savitri Kunadi (Former Indian ambassador to France, Peru , Bolivia, Ambassador/PR of India to UN in Geneva & to UNESCO)
Maharaj Rao Dr. Sumer Singh Ji Basali (President of the Boarding Schools Association of India and on the Council Board of World Leading Schools Association, Former Chairman of IPSC)
Thakur Chandrachur Singh Jalalpur (Bollywood Actor)
International Basketball Player Pratima Singh Solanki
Link to watch above dignitaries recording - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1l0r5Qn1XFhQz5sOhg7H_jA_RCopfiDjc?usp=sharing