basavajayanthi edition toronto, 2010 (july 3rd & 4th ... · vsna convention toronto, 2010 (july 3rd...
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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
2
ShashiGourakkal
NewsletterEditor
VSNAConvention
Toronto2010
Tel.:(905)6960167
If you need printed
copy of Registration
Package, please Con
tact Jayashri Kotha
valeat (416)6957358
or send an email to
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
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
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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
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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
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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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