Food fair organised by the Sri Vishnu Shiva Mandir of Canberra for flood and landslide victims in Sri Lanka
June 22, 2016
Sri Vishnu Shiva Mandir of Canberra organised a vegetarian food fair on Sunday 19th June, the day of Poson Full Moon Day, at the Mandir premises.
All proceeds from the food fair amounting to over A$2600, was handed over to Sri Lankan High Commission S. Skandakumar, for the victims of recent floods and landslides in Sri Lanka.
The High Commissioner thanked the Mandir Managing Committee, devotees and volunteers who contributed their time, effort and money towards this worthy community event. Members of the Sri Lankan community and friends from Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore had helped out as volunteers to make the event a success.
Given below is an article written by one of the visitors to the Food fair, following the event, which captures the spirit of the event.
“Allow me to begin with a statement pointing out the obvious!
Sunday the 19th of June coincided with the most important events of the Sri Lankan Buddhist calendar; the arrival of Arahath Mahinda and the establishment of Buddha sasana in Sri Lanka 2323 years ago to the compassionate blessing of the Buddha “May all living beings be happy”.
Coincidentally it was on this poson poya day that the Devotees of the VISHNU SHIVA MANDIR of Canberra were compassionately and devotionally engaged in an act of kindness.
I witnessed it in person.
The untiring efforts of the devotees of Shiva engaged from the first hour of dawn, preparing for a carnival of Dravidian food to be sold in a fair. The caption of the the SHIVA temple advertisement read:
I spoke to Srithamo, a prominent organizer of Jaffna Tamil descent, educated at Jaffna Hindu College the second oldest school in our land.
“Healing and taking over the suffering of others with compassion is the most powerful healer. By pouring our tender feelings and loving kindness you can melt away years of darkness, frustration and anger. We are all brother and sisters of Sri Lanka ” said Sri. For certain the Hindu dharma of ‘AHIMSA’ was his call!!
Streams of people trekked in for five long hours, numbering three hundred and over’ in solidarity to the cause. Tamils, Sinhalese, Indians and a host of other communities unitedly contributed to collect over $2,600 towards the flood victims of Sri Lanka. We stand for a united Sri Lanka, irrespective of the language we speak or the religious beliefs we have; be it ‘ Namo Namo Matha” or “Namo namo Thaye”. We venerate mother Lanka.
Let us take this opportunity to Salute the devotees of Shiva Mandir for standing alongside us in solidarity for the unfortunate landslide and flood victims of Lanka. What a befitting gesture for a united Sri Lanka. “The happiness which will arrive from long and endured practices, will lead to the end of suffering; which at first is like poison, but at last like nectar when happiness arises from one’s own mind.” ¬ Ved Vysa ( The Bhagavad Geetha ) 1500 BC”
