A new group in Durham is bringing together people of Indian descent to celebrate their
shared culture.
On Friday, September 29, over two hundred and fifty people were gathered at Ajax Community Center.
Their goal was to get together and celebrate Indian culture through dancing and singing. Harleen Saini
and Anita Sharma, with the help of family, friends, and volunteers, spent day and night organizing an
event that was loved by everyone. “There has been a clear lack of events such as this one in the Durham
Region,” said Saini. According to Sharma and Saini, the event is just one of many initiatives that the two
plan on creating in the region. “There has been a lack of support for the Indian community on this side
of the GTA,” said Saini. There were two programs that were announced at the event, youth mentorship
for immigrant students, and a connection database for finding out individual in the community who can
support each other.
The event was attended by representative of Hon. Mark Holland, MP and the health minister of Canada.
The representatives announced their support for the event and the programs and provided Durham
Punjabi Cultural with a certification of congratulation which was signed by Hon. Holland.
The event included performances by Dholi Devi Lal, and several songs and dances such as Gidha and
Bhangra. Live music was provided by DJ Jay Ashar. The event was sponsored by a host a individuals and
groups, a short list of which is Dharminder Kumar, IP Goldhouse Ltd. Jewellers, King of Punjab Tadka,
Realtor Simran Mavi, Beauty Expert Simar Pannu, Durham Spine Care Clinic, Rakesh Kalia from Sunlife
Insurance, Nanak Truck Driving School, All Link Tour & Travel, Kulwinder Guleria Billyard Insurance
Group, Tarang Patel Affinity Mortgage, and Realtor Ruby Gujral. The sponsors not just provided support
for the event but also provided prizes for the attendees. Photo courtesy is given to Shipra Sharma and
Lovita.
For more information about the mentorship and connection programs, please check out
https://bit.ly/45g6Eab and https://bit.ly/46olNHk.