VSNAConventionToronto,2010(July3rd&4th)
May15,2010Volume4,Issue1
BasavajayanthiEdition
Insidethisissue
MessagefromEditor...................2
MessageFromChair...................3
VachanaKalyana.........................4
Realizationoftheeternal............8
WhyWorshipLinga.....................10
VeerashaivisminNews...............11
Whydowehavetoattend..........12
TorontoAttractions....................13
TorontoLandmarks.....................14
Toronto Landmarks
ConventionConventionNewsletterNewsletter
MessagefromtheEditorWith lessthan6weekstogobefore
the convention, things have fallen
into high gear and every one of us
areworkingonafeverpitchtomake
sure thingsgo smoothlyat thecon
vention.
The registrations so far gave been
quitepromisingandthingsare look
ing positive. Nevertheless we en
courage thosewhoareyet to regis
ter to get the registration done
quicklyasthedeadlineforearlybird
registrationisprettyclose.
Toronto chaptermembers have al
ready finalized their entertainment
programs and are practicing on a
regular basis. As you can see form
thechartbelow,westillare looking
tofillthetimeslotforoutsidechap
termembers.We encourage those
interested in participating in the
culturalprograms to register at the
earliesttoavoiddisappointment.
In this issue I have added anther
segments called Toronto Land
marks. These are just some of the
landmarks.Thougheachoftheland
marks require pages to give com
plete information, I have tried to
make itbriefand informativeatthe
same time.Hope this helps to plan
yourtriptoToronto.
Pleassendyourcomments&sugges
[email protected].
2
ShashiGourakkal
NewsletterEditor
VSNAConvention
Toronto2010
Tel.:(905)6960167
[email protected]
If you need printed
copy of Registration
Package, please Con
tact Jayashri Kotha
valeat (416)6957358
or send an email to
[email protected]
DAY-2
Age GroupDura-tion
Dance
Drama
Sing-ing Group
Agegorup47 20 VSNAUSA
Agegroup510 20 VSNAUSA
Agegroup1015 20 VSNAUSA
Agegroup1517 20 10 VSNAUSA
Students1724 20 VSNAUSA
Adults 20 20 VSNAUSA
Seniors 10 VSNAUSA
ProfessionalGroup1 30 30 Menaka Thakkar GroupProfessionalGroup2
30 30 HindustaniSinger
Filled 60 0 30 190 90 30 70 Remaining 30 30 40
3
, , ?
?
!
MessagefromChairNamaskartoall:
Since the call for attendance
messageinthelastnewsletter,wehaveseentremendousresponse.Manyofyou
have registered already to attend the convention. Many
morehaveexpressedinterestinattending;we look forward for
largegatheringattheconvention.
Convention2010isfastapproachingonly six weeks away.
Conventioncommittee is working diligently tomake sure everything is
in order.Conventioncommitteehascalledallthe members in the VSNA
addresslist, LifeMembers, Chapter list andpeople we know and
friends etc.Some members we called themtwice, thrice. We called
them andwe asked them are you
attendingtheconvention,doyouneedprintedregistration package to be
mailed,cananyofyourfamilymemberprovideculturalprogrametc
Most of the conversation also getsinto getting to know the
family,where they are from in India, thecollege they attended to,
commonfriend they have etc. Conventioncommittee
volunteershaveenjoyedthese conversations and we feelrewarded when
the person on theothersideofthephonesays,wearecoming and see you at
the convention.
Well, ifyouareoneofthosepeoplereading
thisnewsletterwhohavent
heardfromus,pleaseletusknowbyemailwewillcallyouoryoucancalluswhateverisconvenient.
What we have learnt is that 30%peoplehavenotupdated their
contact information. Please send usyourcontact
information,email;wewillupdatethecontactlist.
Well,howmanyphonecalls so far?2000+phonecalls, if it
isnotvoicemail, call duration is about 20minuteson average.We leave
it toyou toassesshowhard the team isworking!
Summary progress on the conventionsofar,facility
isbooked,dinnercaterer is booked, and stage andaudio visual
discussions are in advanced stage. Speakers have
confirmedtheirattendance,artistshaveconfirmed and
entertainmentgroups have confirmed their attendance.
Torontochapterispresenting2hourprogram on Saturday,
includingDramaTaledanda,Kolataand LezimDance. Best of the Toronto
talentareworkingtoputcolorfulprogram.
We are still looking for more programsfromUSAchapters.
Convention2010isfastapproachingwewouldhavejustonemorenewsletterbeforeconvention.Weappreciateallyourarticlesbefore8thJune.
YuvarajPatil
ChairVSNAConvention
Toronto2010
Tel.:(647)8914267
[email protected]
4
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VachanaKalyana
RamjanDarga
HeadofSharanaSahitya
Peetha,GulbargaUniversity
Gulbarga,Karnataka
INDIA
RamjanDarga,anaccomplishedwriterandeloquentspeakeronveerashaivismandBasavaphilosophy.HehaswrittenseveralbooksonVeerashaivismandarticles
highlighting the relevance of Basava philosophy in 21st century.We
arepublishing selected fewpages fromone ifhisbooks,
VachanaKalyana,withhispermission.These fewpagesareenoughtogiveusan
ideaofdepthofhisknowledgeofVeerashaivismandBasavaPhilosophy.Heisthekeynotespeakerattheconvention.
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7
Man has two instincts, called living instinctand liberation
instinctwhich leadto religion. These instincts are termedby famous
philosopherpsychologistFreud as living instinct and death
instinct.Theyarepartof fourmaingoalsofhuman lifeaccording tovedic
seers:Kama(satisfying the desire for sensepleasure),
Artha(acquisition of worldlypossessions or wealth),
Dharma(observance of religious and secularduties), and, lastly and
most importantly,Moksha(liberation through Godrealization). The
first two are purelyworldly values. The last two are
spiritual.Actually,thefirstthreearesubservient to the ultimate goal
ofMoksha,liberationfromSamsara,thecycleoflifeand death. This final
goal of achievingKaivalya is called Shunyasampadanebyour sharanas.
In summary, all the philosophers, wisdom teachers and themysticsof
theworld from the time immemorial have basically and unanimously
come to the following
conclusionswhichformthecommondenominatorofallreligions:
1.
TheGodexistsandthephenomenalworldisamanifestationofaDivineGround;
2.
TheGodcanberealizedandexperienced,notmerelyknowingaboutITbydiscursiveinferencebutbydirectintuition(anubhaava);
3.
Everyhumanbeingpossessestwopartnature,aphenomenalegoandaneternalsublimeSelf;
4.
Theultimategoalofeveryhumanbeinghasonlyoneendandpurpose:toidentifyhimselfwithhiseternalSelf,notwithhisego,andtoachieveliberationbyrealizingGod;
TherearemanywaystorealizetheunitingknowledgeoforexperiencingtheGodand,consequently,achieveShunya,Kaivalya,Moksha,NirvanaorBeatitude.Basavanna
realized this basic fact 850years ago. Basavanna with his sharp
intellect assimilated all the prior existent knowledge and came
upwith thenew and everlasting solutions for thethen prevailing
philosophical, religious,economicandsocialillsandproblemsinthe
society.His revolutionary conceptsof Kayaka, Pancha Achara, Ista
LingaandShatsthalaMargatoachieveliberationenabledthedeprivedcommonmantoempowerhimselfandbecomeequal,bothsociallyandspiritually,totheprivileged.InthewordsofProf.K.S.Srikantan,"It
is no exaggeration to say that
themessageofSriBasavaislikeareservoirintowhichallpreviousthoughtsflowedin
and from which all later thoughtsflowed out. Kind like Buddha,
simplelikeMahavir,gentle likeJesus,bold
likeMohamed,Basavastrikesusalmostasawonderofcreation.But,whatattractusmost
tohimare those teachingsofhisin which he anticipated the
greatestmodern thinkers KarlMarx andMahatma Gandhi".ArthurMiles has
lauded Basavanna asthe first original thinker of India:"Whatever
the legendmay say aboutBasava,thefactisfullyclearthathewasthe first
Indian freethinker.HemaybecalledtheLutherofIndia".
It isnosurprisethatMrs.SoniaGandhion April 12, 2010, at
Bagalkote AkhilaBharathaVeerashaivaMahasabha Centenary
Celebrations, said that the current United Progressive Alliance
[UPA]government in India has adopted theegalitarian doctrines of
Basaveswaraand isemployinghiseconomicand social principles and
policies in practice.Basavanna has become a house holdname in the
whole of India as thephrase "BuddhaBasavaAmbedkar" isreverberating
among thedowntroddenIndians,andasthe
intellectualsarebecomingawareandappreciatehisepochmaking bold
eternal initiatives. For alltheSharanas,theGod
ispersonal,pantheisticandabsolute.Forthem,theGodisomnipresent,omniscientandomnipotent.
RealizationoftheEternal
Itisnoexaggeration
tosaythatthemes
sageofSriBasavais
likeareservoirinto
whichallprevious
thoughtsflowedin
andfromwhichall
laterthoughtsflowed
out.KindlikeBuddha,
simplelikeMahavir,
gentlelikeJesus,bold
likeMohamed,Basava
strikesusalmostasa
wonderofcreation
8
Dr.Siddalingaiah
LifeMemberofVSNA
VAChapter
9
zUt zvg vgUq RUU ZPd, sjvV JUP Rzg?
YouarealltheforestYouareallthetalltreesintheforestYouareallthebirdsandbeastsplayinginandoutofallthetreesOLordChannamallikarjuna,beingimmanentineverythingintheuniverse,Whydon'tyoushowmeyourface?
Onthesame
lines,BasaveswaradepictsGodastheEternalandtheonlyLordofthe sentient
and the insentient in
theuniverse,inthefollowingvachana.HeisShiva,Pashupathi,Mahaadeva!
, v , Jwz gz dUjAi. z, z, z; EAz Az ! w dUP KPz! U v vzU M z Pq
AU z
YouaretheLord,youaretheEternal,Thisisthesublimepraisetheuniverseknowsyouby.SupremeLord,SupremeLord,SupremeLord,Thereisnowordbeyondthis!TheLordofthesentientandinsentientoftheuniverseistheonlyGod!KudalaSangamaDevaistheonlyLordofthethreeworlds!!
The emphasis in this vachana is thatthere isonlyoneGodwho is
supreme.BasavannaseesinthefollowingvachanatheGod
inhimselfaseternalallpervasive consciousness, the Self, the
PranaLinga,whichisthesameastheuniversalSelf. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi
referred indirectly to this vachana inher speechonApril 12, at
Shivayogamandira in Bagalkote District, India. Though she is
adevout Catholic Christian, she was impressed, according to
reports.Veerashaivism/Lingayithism is
beingtotallyrationalisticandfreefromdogmaand superstition andmoved
by Basavanna'srevolutionaryconceptthatevery
humanbodyisamovingshrine.
Gg Ai iqg, iq qAi. K P PA, z zU, g PAi. PqAUz, PAi gPAl,
dAUP.
TherichwillbuildtemplesforShiva,WhatcanI,apoorman,do?Mylegsarepillars,thebodytheshrine,Theheadacupolaofgold.Listen,OKuudalasangamadeva,Theimmovableshallperish,themovingiseternal.
This vachana is pregnant with
mysticvisionoftheallpervasiveSpiritwhich isLight, Life and Love
that is immutableeternal ultimate Reality housed also
ineverylivingbeing.Thisuniverseismadeupoftwobasicelements:consciousnessandmatter.
In this vachanaBasavannaissaying thatallmatter,which
isstatic,perishes sooner or later. The dynamicuniversal
consciousness, theSelf,whichis the sameasPrana Linga that is
templedineveryhumanbeing,ischangelessandeternal,whereasthephysicaltempleperishes.Thehumantempleismorereal
and sacred than thematerial temple. This is themeaning of the
phrase"Sthavakkalivuntu Jangamakkalivilla",which is themotto of the
Thirty ThirdAnnual VSNA Convention being held atToronto on July 3
and 4, 2010. ThisphrasemysticallyspeaksofBhavaLinga,realizing and
experiencing of whichrepresents the essence of Veerashaivism.
Inordertoachievethissupremehumangoal, Satsanga (association with
likeminded good people with inner andouter purity, maintaining
virtuous andnoble emotions, and listening, studyingand
reflectinguponscriptural truths)
isabsolutelynecessary,andhenceattendingVSNAConventionisimperative.
Dr.HSiddalingaiah
Inorder toachieve the
supreme human goal,
Satsanga (association
with like minded good
people with inner and
outer purity, maintain
ing virtuous and noble
emotions, and listening,
studying and reflecting
uponscripturaltruths)is
absolutely necessary,
and hence attending
VSNA Convention is im
perative
There are two types of liga:
stvaraligaandIsaliga.Stvaraligaistheligaseenintemplesandotherplaces.Ithastwopartstopandbottom.ivaisthetopandaktiwhostayswithiva
isthebase.Theyare inseparable.Stvaraliga is sacred once established
in
atemple.Thepriestsdonotallowotherstoworshipdirectly.Peoplesatisfythemselves
looking at the priest doing
theworship.Thiskindofworshipledtothesuppression of people and to
bleedthem by the priests. Even kings werenot spared from
thispractice.Even today thispractice iscontinuing. It
isdisappointingtosaythatsometemples inIndia require appointments in
additiontoentrancefeetoseean idolkept
inadimlylightedroom.Basavaadidnottoleratethehumiliation and
suppression of people in thename of religion.Basavaa says: willthe
hunger go away if someone elseeatsinsteadofyou?canyoubehappyifsome
one else is? A person
worshipsIsaligatoexpresshisdevotions.Godisomnipresent.Whypay
thepriests toworshipgodwho is inallplaces including our body.
Basavaa replaced thestvara ligawith Isaliga. Isaligahasnobase. It
isworshipedbyplacingon the left palm. Thismakes
theworshiperasati(wife)toligapati(masterorhusband).A person who is
tired of sadness andhappiness from sasra seeksways toescape from
the clutches of sasra.Sasra isnotwifeandchildrenbut itis the
illusions ofmye and ignoranceabout Paraiva. His search leads to
aknowledgable and experience Guru.Guru with love and compassion
givesIsaliga towear at all times.He alsoinstructs themethod
ofworship. Theyinstill devotion in the person. He ishappy to travel
in thepathofParaivatoescapethecycleofbirth.Being in the ocean
ofmilkwhyworryforcow?Being in the house of
goldwhyworryformoney?Beingwithguruwhyworry forphiloso
phicalknowledge?Beingwith
theprasdhawhyworryafterdeath?HavingthelingainthepalmTell,whyworryforthingsGuheshwara?Using
similaritiesAllamaprabhuadvisespersonswith Istalinga not to have
desireforthingsofthisworld.EverythingbelongstoParashiva.
Devoteereceivesthingsasprasdha. Withprasdahe isfree from the
illusions ofmya. He isfreetoexperienceParashiva.
Nochildforbarren.Noplantfordryseed.Nocustomsfornameless.Noprofitwithoutcapital.For
learning GuheshwaralingasstandDesire ceaseswith the loss
ofrewardsofworship.
Awomanshouldbefertiletoconceiveababy. Seeds should not be
sterile tosprout into aplant.Withoutnamedisappearing routines do
not go away.There is no profitwithout investment.Similarly without
suppressing the desires of body there is no realization
ofParashiva.Istaliga is thesymbolofGod. It isessential to a person
with devotion justlike instruments are for a surgeon
andtoamechanic. Isaliga isthegatewayto praliga. Worship of
IsaligadoesnotleadtoParaiva.KnowledgeofParaivaisrequired.TheknowledgeisinPraliga.
Devotee with steadfastmind travels inside the body. He ishappy to
see the light of lights in hisheart.He is immenselyhappybeing inthe
company of Praliga. Once experienced he cannot let go the
happiness.He is likeachildexperiencingthetasteof sugar for the
first time.Devotion to Paraiva increases
enormouslyleadingtothelossofimpuritiesofbodyandmind.He
isfreefromall influencesofmye. HeseesParaivaeverywhereand
ineverything.He isa araa.He isstill under the influence of duality;
IandYou.Thisdualitydisappears
intheaikyastate.InaikyastateheisParaiva.
WhyWorshipLinga
Istaligaisthesym
bolofGod.Itisessen
tialtoapersonwith
devotionjustlikein
strumentsarefora
surgeonandtoame
chanic.Isaligais
thegatewayto
praliga
10
GuruS.Bale
NewJersey
11
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UsefulLinks
Hotelbooking:CallTollFree:18667168101SheratonParkwayTorontoNorth.Discountcode"VSNA"Registration:http://www.vsnaconvention.com/register.htmlSmalldonationsbighelp:http://www.vsnaconvention.com/donate.html
VeerashaivismInNews
WhydowehavetoattendVSNAConvention Dowe reallyhave tohave
reasonsto attendourown religiousculturalfunctions that furnish
nourishmenttoourbody,mindand soul? Isnt itour duty and
responsibility to helpourowncommunitygatherings thatrekindle in us
the memories andlegacies of our culture and
heritage?Doweneedreminderstoparticipate in our annual
conventionsthat afford us occasions to fellowshipwithourbrethrens?
Dontourchildrengetexposedandintroducedto our religious concepts and
get achancetocultivateanddevelopnewfriendshipswith
theirpeers?Arentthe VSNA Annual Conventions
providingtheparentsanopportunitytoprevent their children being
sweptaway and absorbed in the meltingpot of alien culture and
conflictingreligious ideologiesprevalent
inouradoptedland?Yet,forthebenefitofthose folks who need reasons
toattend their own functions, mentioned below are some pointers
astowhywe should attend theVSNAAnnualConventions!Weareavery
smallminority inour
adopted land. Ifwedonotsup
portourown organization,whyshouldothers?
Itgivesusasenseofbelongingandsharing in our alien
adoptedland.
VSNA conventions give us a feelingof friendship, fellowship
andkinship.
The uniqueness of 2010conventionis the fact that it gives us
achancetospendaneveningatNiagaraFallswithfamily.
The beautiful city of Toronto offersmany wonderful places to
visitsuchas theCNTower, theCanada Wonderland an amusement park for
children
andadults,TheOntarioSciencecenter,theMetroTorontoZooetc.
Thus, the 2010Toronto VSNA Annual Convention provides a
wholesomeopportunityforfamilyenvironment, enjoyment, education
andenlightenment. So do notmiss thisopportunity.Go online and
registertoday.GadigeppaDoddamani(MI)ExPresident,VSNA
12
GadigeppaDoddamani
ExPresident,VSNA
?!
!
Algonquin Provincial Park is provincial parklocated between
Georgian Bay and Ottawariver in centralOntario.And it is about
250Kms fromToronto. Ittakesabout3hourstodrive to itsentrance
fromToronto. It is theoldest provincial park established in
1893with areaof7653 square kilometers.This
isroughlyaquarterthesizeBelgium.
Its size combined with its proximity to TorontoandOttawamakes
itthemostpopularparkinOntarioandinfectintheentirecountry.Over2400
lakesand1200Kilometersofstreams and riversare located
insidethepark.
The park is considered part of borderbetween
NorthernOntarioandSouthernOntario.Thepartisinthe areaof
transitionbetween northernconiferous forest andsouthern
deciduousforest. This uniquemixture of foresttypes, and a
widevariety of environments in the park,allows the park
tosupportuniquediversityofplantsandanimalspecies. It isalsoan
importantsiteforwildliferesearch.
Algonquin is popular for yearround outdoor activities. There are
over 1,200 campsites in eightdesignatedcampgroundsalongHighway60
inthesouthendof thepark,withalmost100others
inthreeothercampgroundsacrossthenorthernandeastern edges. There is
also theWhitefish
Lakegroupcampgroundwith18sitesofvarioussizestoaccommodategroupsof20,30,or40people.Socalled"interiorcamping"ispossiblefurtherinsidetheparkat
sitesaccessibleonlyby canoeoronfoot.
The visitor centre features exhibits about
thenaturalandculturalhistoryof thepark,and theAlgon
quinRoomwithchangingexhibitsofartrelatedtothepark.Thecentre also
includes a videotheater,agiftshop,andanoutdoorviewingdeck.
Other activities include fishing,mountain biking, horseback
riding, ccrosscountry skiing, andday hiking. The park has nineteen
interpretive trails, rangingin lengthfrom0.8kmto13km.Each trail
comes with a trailguideand ismeantto introducevisitors to a
different aspect ofthepark'secologyorhistory.
13
TorontoAttractionsAlgonquinPark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseback_ridinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseback_ridinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseback_ridinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseback_ridinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_country_skiing
14
Toronto Landmarks
Defining theTorontoskyline, theCNTower isCanadasmost
recognizableandcelebratedicon.Ataheightof553.33m(1,815ft.,5inches),itistheWorldsTallestTower,aWonderoftheModernWorld,animportant
telecommunicationshub, the centreof tourism in Toronto and
afirstclassdiningandeventcentre.
Eachyear,approximately2millionpeoplevisittheCanadasWonderoftheWorldtotakeinthebreathtakingviewandenjoyalloftheattractionstheCNTowerhastooffer.
After40monthsofconstruction,theCNTowerwasopenedtothepubliconJune26,1976and
itwaswellon itswaytobecomingthecountrysmost celebrated landmark. It
is the centreof telecommunications
forTorontoserving16CanadiantelevisionandFMradiostations,theworkplaceof550peoplethroughouttheyear,andoneofTorontospremierentertainmentdestinations.
Founded
in1900byagroupofprivatecitizensastheArtMuseumofToronto,theArtGalleryofOntario
isoneof the largestartmuseums
inNorthAmerica,withaphysicalfacilityof583,000squarefeet.TheAGOexpandeditsfacilityin2008withaninnovativearchitecturaldesignbyworldrenownedarchitectFrankGehry
TheAGOholdsmorethan79,000worksinitscollection,whichspansfrom100A.D.tothepresent.Highlightsinclude:
TheCanadiancollectionvividlydocumentsthedevelopmentofthenation'sartheritagesincepreConfederation,includingoneofthelargestandfinestInuitartcollections
in the world. The collection includes pivotal works by Cornelius
Krieghoff,LuciusO'Brien, JamesWilsonMorrice, Tom Thomson, theGroup
of
Seven,DavidMilne,EmilyCarr,PaulEmileBorduas,JoyceWieland,andKenojuakAshevak.
CN Tower
Art Gallery of Ontario
TheRoyalOntarioMuseum isamongtheworlds leadingmuseums of natural
history, and of world cultures. Indeed,
incombiningauniversalmuseumofcultureswiththatofnaturalhistory,
theROMoffersanunusualbreadthofexperience
tovisitorsandscholarsfromaroundtheworld.
The RoyalOntarioMuseum offers a unique platform to
theengagetheworldsofcultureandtheenvironmentatthecentreofoneofNorthAmericasgreatcities.
Royal Ontario Museum
15
Toronto Landmarks
Union Station
Toronto's Entertainment District consists of eight city blocks
that houses every type of entertainment you can think of. The area
boasts a host of dining choices from pubs and bars to upscale
bis-tros serving everything from Steak and seafood to international
en-trees. The area also has nightlife spots from dance clubs and
live music venues to theatres like Roy Thompson Hall and the Royal
Alexandra Theatre. Some of the city's biggest attractions like the
CN Tower and the Rogers Centre, and a myriad of shops, hotels and
services are all part of the District.
Entertainment District
While the Toronto Industrial Exhibition
(renamedtheCNEin1912)wasfoundedin1879,itcanbeargued that the
grounds have been a hub of tradeactivity since 1750 with the
construction of FortRouille.ThefortwasbuiltbytheFrenchasameansof
enticing natives to trade with them instead
ofwiththeEnglish.Indeed,FortRouilleprovedtobeasuccessfultradingpostandin1757,150balesoffurswere
traded there. In thesameyear,only20 to30baleswere traded through
theEnglish fortatKingston.
In1759,theFrenchdestroyedFortRouilletokeep it from falling into
thehandsof invadingEnglish troops. A cement outline of the
Fortwalls remains togivevisitorsan ideaas to
theoriginalsizeandshapeofthestructure(southwestoftheBandshellStage).
Toronto's thirdUnion Stationwas
constructedbetween19141920bytheTTRand is the largestandmostopulent
railwaystationerected inCanada, particularly in light of the
failure of theGTR to construct itsplanned replacement
toMontreal'sBonaventure Station.
ThebuildingwasdesignedbytheMontrealarchitecturefirmofRossandMacdonald,withassistancefromtheCPR'sarchitectHughJohnes,aswellasTorontoarchitectJohnM.Lyle.Itsdesignwascitedin1975bytheHistoricSitesandMonuments
Board of Canada as being of "national
architecturalsignificanceasoneofthefinestexamplesofBeauxArtsrailwaystationdesigninCanada.UnionStationhasappeared
invariousfilmsandtelevisionseries,oftenrepresentingsettingsinothercities
The Exhibition Place
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montrealhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonaventure_Stationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_and_Macdonaldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaux-Arts_architecture
16
Toronto Landmarks
OntarioPlacewasbuiltasashowcasefortheProvinceofOntario thatwould
replace the Government of
OntariobuildingattheCNEandtakeadvantageofwhatwasthenanunderdevelopedwaterfrontarea.
ConstructionstartedonMarch17,1969andtookanestimated1.5millionpersonhoursoflabortobuildatacostof$29M.
The original park was consisted of threemanmade islands
connected by picturesque bridges and
walkwayswiththePodsorPavilion,complexandthegeodesicdomeoftheCinesphereasthefocalpoints.
Theparkinitiallyencompassed96acresofwhich51acreswerelandfill.
Thegate firstopened to thepubliconMay22,1971,38yearsago.
Ontario Place
Casa Loma (Spanish for Hill House) is now amuseum andlandmark
inuptownToronto,constructed in
theGothicRevivalstyle.ItwasoriginallyaresidenceforfinancierSirHenryMill
Pellatt. Casa Loma was constructed over a
threeyearperiodfrom19111914.ThearchitectofthemansionwasE.J. Lennox,
who was responsible for the designs of
severalothercitylandmarks.DuringWorldWar II, Casa Loma was used to
conceal research on sonar, and for construction of sonar
devices(knownasASDIC)forUboatdetection.ThehouseisstilloperatedbytheKiwanisClub.TodayitisoneofToronto'smostpopulartouristattractions.
Casa Loma
NathanPhillipsSquare isa livelypublicgatheringplace
locatedimmediatelyinfrontofTorontoCityHall.The square is named
afterNathan Phillipswhowasmayor ofTorontofrom1955to1966.In Summer
visitors and locals alike congregate around the reflectingpool.
Inwinterthepool istransformed intoanoutdoorskatingrink.The arches
over the reflecting pond were officially names asFreedomArches
in1989.apieceofBerlinwall
laysflatatthebaseofthecentrefreedomarchonthesouthside.
Nathan Phillips Square
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torontohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Pellatthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Pellatthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Pellatthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Pellatthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._J._Lennoxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._J._Lennoxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._J._Lennoxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._J._Lennoxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-boat
17
Toronto Landmarks
Canada'sWonderland is a 330acre (1.3 km2)
themeparkinVaughan,Ontario,CanadaandislocatedwithintheGreaterTorontoArea.TheparkisopenseasonallyfromMaytoOctoberandcontainsmorethan200attractions.
It opened in 1981 and was Canada's firstmajor
themepark.Thepark,whenunder theownership of Paramount Parks from
1994 to 2006 wasknown as Paramount Canada's Wonderland. Whensold to
Cedar Fair in 2007, the park reverted to
itsoriginalname.ItwasdesignedbyLandscapeArchitectsRichard Strong
and Associates and structurally
engineeredbyO.T.BaggioandAssociatesProfessionalEngineers. The park
was the most attended
seasonalthemeparkinNorthAmericatwoyearsinarow(2005and2006).
In2006,attendancewas justover3.2million.Notably,with 15 roller
coasters, the park
holdstherecordforthemostrollercoastersinoneparkoutsideoftheUnitedStates.
TheTorontosFinancialDistrict isabusinessdistrict
inToronto,Ontario,Canada,within thedowntowncore.
ItwasoriginallyplannedasNewTown
in1796asanextensionoftheTownofYork(latertheSt.LawrenceWard).[1]ItisthemainfinancialdistrictinToronto,andisthefinancialheartofCanada.ItisboundedroughlybyQueenStreetWesttothenorth,YongeStreettotheeast,FrontStreettothesouth,andUniversityAvenue
to thewest, thoughmanyoffice towers in
thedowntowncorearebeingconstructedoutsidethisarea,whichwillextendthegeneralboundaries.ExamplesofthistrendaretheTelusTower,andRBCCentre
Canadas Wonderland
Torontos Financial District
Toronto Eaton Centre is a place like noother. Its spectacular
glass galleria soarsabove a fascinating selection ofmore than230
retailers, restaurants and services. Located intheheartofthecity,
it isoneofthemost
interestingandexcitingshoppingexperiencesyouwillfindanywhere.
TorontoEatonCentre isCanada'spremiershoppingdestinationand
isanexperiencethatdefineselevatedliving,offeringinternationalretailersunrivalledbyanyother
shopping indowntownToronto.Trulyauniquedestination
thatoffersanurbanvibrancyandexcitingpossibilitieswitheveryvisit.
Toronto Eaton Centre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusement_parkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusement_parkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusement_parkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusement_parkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaughanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Toronto_Areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Parkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar_Fair_Entertainment_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_roller_coaster_rankings#Parks_ranked_by_number_of_roller_coastershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torontohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Lawrence,_Torontohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_District,_Toronto#cite_note-0#cite_note-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Street_Westhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonge_Streethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_Street_(Toronto)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Avenue_(Toronto)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Torontohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Torontohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Torontohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Torontohttp://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=1unionplaza-toronto-canadahttp://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=rbccentre-toronto-canada
VSNA ConventionToronto, 2010(July 3rd & 4th)Convention
NewsletterRealization of the EternalWhy Worship Linga
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