10 Religious Hindu Temples in Canada That You Can Visit
If you don’t reside in Canada then you must be thinking that this topic does not make any sense. If you are thinking this then you are not the only one who thinks like this. Honestly hearing that there are Hindu temples in Canada will shock a lot of people so you are not a fault. The fact that Hindu Temples do exist in Canada is not deniable either.
Why is the topic of Hindu Temples relevant or necessary when not a lot of people are in Canada? Well if you are planning to visit Canada soon or are residing there then this topic is relevant for you. Also knowing random facts when you are bored is never a waste of time as well.
The more random facts you know the better for you never know when these may come in handy. By now you should be getting curious where these temples are and what deity is worshipped there so without any further delay let’s dive into that, shall we?
1. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Toronto)
Located in 61 Clareville Drive, Toronto, this is a temple that is one of the most aesthetically pleasing temples that you can find in that area. With ath exterior made of marbles and the interior filled with the sculpture of different Hindu deities, you will feel at home in this Hindu temple. What’s more, is that along with the sculptures you will also get to be involved in different Vedic traditions.
While this is not directly related to Nepal, the Vedic rituals will make you feel like you are in Nepal but just a different part than you are used to. Even if you are not into all the traditions, just admiring the beauty and the familiar aesthetics of this Hindu Temple will make you feel at home away from the west.
2. Shri Vitthal Mandir (Ontario)
With the word Mandir literally in the name, it is clear that this is a Hindu temple. If you want to visit this temple then you will have to travel to Mississauga, Ontario. The Temple was literally made to preserve the eastern Vedic culture in the Western world and the deities worshipped there proves this as well with the well recognized one being Lord Shiva. Since this temple is entirely run with the power of volunteering so if you want to be a part of this temple you can easily be one.
You can find a lot of sculptures in this Hindu temple as well and while you may not recognize some deities you will definitely feel at home here. What’s more, is that if you have to craft skills you can make some deities yourself and donate them to this temple. You will receive blessings and prasad’s here on each visit just like the temples here and if you are someone who believes in karma, good karma as well.
3. Devi Mandir (Ontario)
This temple was started by 8 families for those who missed their home culture to enjoy their traditions. What may surprise you is that this temple is famous there despite the circumstances. Being a Hindu in a mostly Christian community is not easy and the lack of temples makes it only harder.
So finding a temple which is as famous as this is a boon in itself. You can attend the Bhajan as well as special Vedic classes here if you want to anytime. Some other features that these Mandir offers are Spiritual Support and Guidance as well as cultural classes.
4. Hare Krishna Temple (Toronto)
As the name suggests the main deity of this temple is Lord Krishna who is one of the prominent figures in Hindu Culture. If you want to visit this temple you can find this temple in 243 Avenue Road, Toronto. Just like the ones before on this list this Hindu temple offers Aries and but unlike the ones before this temple actually has a time schedule for different types of Aries. Along with this, there is a specific time schedule for Darshan as well.
If you are to visit this temple then you can expect to feel like you are in a local temple because of the environment here which includes the regular Bhajan as well as the smell of incense sticks, both of which you will find in the local temples. The only difference you will find is the number of foreigners in this temple when compared to your local ones.
The additional benefit is that due to the wide-open space you will find more than enough space to do meditation which you can rarely do in Canadian Cities with a busy life there.
5. The Sringeri Temple (Toronto)
Being one of the well-known Hindu temples in Canada this temple boasts one of the best Hindu Architecture in entire Canada. Built-in the style of the South Indian Temples Nepalis may find it a bit hard to adjust in the start but once you enter the temple you will find the environment rather familiar. You can compare the environment inside the environment at Pashupatinath when it is empty.
The temple offers the usual Aratis but along with this, you will also be able to do Pujas of different Deities. For Nepali, the only relevant Puja is Durga Puja but even this is good news as being able to do Pujas in Canada is a rare opportunity.
6. ISKCON Temple (Brampton)
This is more of a Vedic Center rather than a Temple but since there is a Hindu Temple here most of the people who visit this place see it as a temple. The special thing about this place is that due to the temple being just a small part, you can get a lot more here. One of the services that ISKCON is known for is it’s teaching of Vedic Knowledge and Vedic Literature along with its Vedic Yoga lessons.
If you are not into these things don’t worry as you can pray and do pujas here as well but would you leave these traditional Vedic lessons which you can rarely get even in Nepal and India where the majority of people are Hindu in Canada?
7. Hindu Sabha Temple (Brampton)
This is one of those few temples which follows Sanatan Dharma which is one of the major Branches of Hindu. This Dharma celebrates eternal duties and is among those parts of Hindu culture which can be practiced by everyone regardless of caste, class, or religion. As this is a temple that is not specific to any deity you can find the sculptures of all the major Lords of the Hindu religion.
With this being said the main objective of this Temple is to preserve the Hindu culture among the immigrants and give them a sense of belonging in this foreign place. and having a Hindu temple is just one thing that this Temple does. If you are feeling suffocated from Western life this is a great place to take a break and feel back home. As there are no specific deities worshipped here you won’t feel left out or out of place here regardless of which sect of Hinduism you follow.
8. Guruvayurappan Temple (Brampton)
The first thing you will notice about this Hindu temple is its architecture. It will feel familiar yet different. The reason for this is because the building style is based on Hindu Shilpa and Agama Shastras which is an ancient architectural style. Although the god followed here is an existence that Nepali is not familiar with due to its root being embedded in the ancient Hindu scriptures you won’t feel alienated as the name suggests the deity worshipped here as Guruvayurappan. Due to the people visiting mostly being South Asians with similar values you will soon feel at home here so you don’t have to worry much about this temple not worshipping the deity we know.
9. Hindu Temple (Ottawa)
If you live or plan to go anywhere in Ottawa then this is the Temple to go. Being dedicated to the Hindu religion in general and not being specific to any one God you can enjoy diverse cultures and traditions here. With that being said there are a few main deities here including Lord Durga and Lord Hanuman. Along with this, there are a few major festivals as well which include Navratri, Diwali, and Maha Shivaratri. So all in all this Temple is a Complete Package of Hindu Culture and Traditions and regardless of which sect you follow in Hinduism, you can feel like home here.
10. St. John’s Hindu Temple (Newfoundland/Labrador)
If you ever plan to visit this templet you should be prepared to be a bit confused. The reason for that is because even though the main deity worshipped here is Lord Krishna you can celebrate a lot of festivals which have nothing to do with Lord Krishna such as Maha Shivaratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Holi.
This means that just like “The Hindu Temple” mentioned above this temple is a complete package as well. The environment will feel somewhat like the Krishna Mandir located in Mangal Bazar but during festivals but just on a bit of a larger scale if you visit this temple during the festive season.
With these being said we do have a Hindu Festival which is one of our main Festivals in Nepal so if you want to know how to spend it perfectly you can check out our ideas on How to make your Dashain Perfect here.
