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NEWS FLASH....WESTERN CANADA GUJARATI CELBERATE BI-ANNUAL TRADITIONAL RAASGARBAA+FOLK DANCE...showcasing Canadian multicultural lifestyle prosperity
Posted by Vishva News Reporter on September 6, 2010 |
ALBERTA GUJARATI ASSOCIATION
HOSTED
IN THE CITY OF EDMONTON
ALSO KNOWN AS
THE "CITY OF CHAMPIONS" AND
"CITY OF FESTIVALS"
IN ALBERTA, CANADA |
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(English
Translation of the above Gujarati joke)
"Do you wish that the world takes notice of you and seeing you gets
surprise?
It is very easy....
Take a photo doing head-stand on an huge elephant's back
and then enlarge the print but display it turning upside
down....
a and enjoy the world surprise"
......But apart from the joke...
THAT IS A GUJARATI ETERNAL
EVERGREEN
PERSPECTIVE OF
GUJARATI SELF IN LIFE
AND
THE WORLD GUJARATI LIVE IN...
SHOW-CASED BY FEW THOUSAND GUJARATI
PEOPLES
PROSPERING WITH HARMONIOUS CO-EXISTENCE
IN MULTICULTRUAL WESTERN CANADIAN PROVINCES OF
MANITOBA, SASKETCHWAN, ALBERTA, AND BRITSH COLUMBIA
AMONG 10.5 MILLION WESTERN CANADIANS....
ABOUT
GUJARAT AND GUJARATI PEOPLES
Gujarati people
are an
Indo-Aryan
ethnic group that is traditionally
Gujarati-speaking
and can trace their ancestry to the state of
Gujarat
in northwestern
India.
Famous Gujarati include
Mohandas Gandhi,
Mohammad Ali Jinnah
(father of Pakistan),
and
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
(a political and social leader of India and colleague of Mahatma Gandhi)
who played a major role in the India's struggle for independence from
250-year British plundering of India and guided its integration into a
united, independent nation. He was called the "Iron Man Of India")....
To
have a brief history of
Gujarati people
please click
on the name hilite.......and
to know about
Gujarat state
in India where 49 million Gujarati peoples
have originated and emigrated to populate all over this planet Earth
please click on the name hilite...
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...ALBERTA GUJARATI ASSOCIATION HOSTS
THE 2010 RAAS GARBA FESTIVAL
IN EDMONTON, ABLERTA, CANADA
OON SEPTEMBER 3-5, 2010.. |
Edmonton 2010 Raas Garba Festival will bring together
Gujarati from
Western Canadian cities and the Edmonton community at large this summer.
As the main event, the Raas Garba competition promises to be full of
energy, creative imagination and talent of Gujarati youth and a
celebration of their heritage. Winners will be announced and recognized
during an awards dinner later the same evening. Other activities during
the festival will include practice recitals, social and cultural events,
games and health seminar.
This festival has previously been held successfully in Calgary, Edmonton
and Vancouver. Raas Garba is a form of dance, similar to Western folk
dance that originated in the western state of Gujarat, India. Many
traditional garbas are performed in a circle around a central lit lamp
in an earthen pot, signifying the Almighty pervading the Universe and
powering the circle of life. People dance around the center, bending
sideways at every step, their arms making sweeping gestures, each
movement ending in a clap. Modern garba is also heavily influenced by
Dandiya Raas, a dance traditionally performed by men. The merger of
these two dances has formed the high-energy dance that is seen today. To
continue reading the full story and also see the photos and video of
this 3 day event please click on the name to visit the Raas Garba Festival
website called "MY RASS" hosted by Alberta Gujarati Association based in
Edmonton, Alberta Canada.....
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.....THE ORIGIN OF GUJARATIO
PEOPLES OF WESTERN CANANDA.....
....INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION-
THE OLDEST CIVILIZATION ON EARTH...
Map from
Wikipedia)(
Extent and major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization. currently known
and includes the state of Gujarat, India. The shaded area does not
include recent excavations such as
Rupar,
Balakot,
Shortughai in
Afghanistan, Manda in
Jammu,
etc
(Map from
Wikipedia)
Ancient Lothal
as envisaged by the
Archaeological Survey of India..
The findings consist of a
mound, a
township, a
marketplace and the dock.
Lothal is one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus
valley civilization. Located in Bhal region of the modern state of
Gujarat and dating from 2400 BCE. Lothal's dock—the world's earliest
known—connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river on
the trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and the peninsula of
Saurashtra when the surrounding Kutch desert of today was a part of the
Arabian Sea. It was a vital and thriving trade centre in ancient times,
with its trade of beads, gems and valuable ornaments reaching the far
corners of West Asia and Africa.
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ABOUT ALBERTA GUJARATI
ASSOCIATION IN EDMONTON r />
  
(Photos from
AGA Website)
|
The
Alberta Gujarati Association, AGA, was started in 1970 and
registered as a non-profit Society under Alberta Society Act in 1978 by
a group of immigrants in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada that came from
Gujarat, India. While looking for a way to connect with other newly
arrived Gujarati people, AGA introduced festivities, cultural programs,
events and more that the people of Gujarat were accustomed to back home.
AGA has a current membership of over 400 families.
The distinctiveness of AGA is Gujarati culture which has been identified
to have existed during the Indus valley civilization which is the
currently the oldest known civilization on this planet Earth. The
current archeological finds dates Indus valley civilization to be over
10,000 years old.
Indus Valley Civilization and
Harappan Civilization
was very probably evolved in science, industry, commerce, arts, life
philosophy and metaphysical sciences more than the current state of
evolution of current humankind civilizations.
AAAGA provides to its membership social, educational and sports program
for Gujarati festivals such navaraatri, diwali, tulsi vivaah, jalaraam
jayanti, gujaraati language learning classes, music learning and
practices, seniors gatherings, sports events including a gujaraat
Cricket Club, devotional activities through Shakti Satsung Mandal,
mentoring to new gujaraati immigrants, social assistance to membership
families in distress and mentoring to member students.
AGA participates and delivers social services to mainstream Edmonton
communities and events such as Klondike days,
Heritage festival, Canada Day Celebrations, International Day for
Elimination of Racial Discrimination and other community events and
fund-raising for world events such as Gujaraat Earthquake. br />
AGA has a long-term plan in place to build its own centre called strong>
Mahatma Gandhi Centre,
a "Gujarati Home Away From Home"
for 365/24 day to day living of Gujarati lifestyle by
preserving and fostering gujaraati legacy in this twenty-first century
and the third millennium.
(Compiled From My Raas website
and My Story
published by AGA in 2002) |
Please click on the next line to read more about today's western
Canada's Gujarati people's news story.......and to see event photos and
videos... together with info on Gujarati peoples and their history, info
on City of Edmonton including why it is called "City of Champions"
and "City of Festivals" and the Canadian Province of Alberta which is
also now called "Saudi Arabia of Canada" at the end of the news on the
next webpage..... |
| AV
....WEBSITE LINKS TO TODAY'S
WESTERN CANADIAN GUJARATI PEOPLE'S NEWS..... |
The current Executive Members of Alberta Gujarati Association are proud
to host the Edmonton 2010 Raas Garba Festival in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada. We plan to build on this success on the overwhelming success of
the last festival staged at the Winspear Centre in 1998.
The festival consists of the Raas Garba Competition between various
Western Canadian Cities, and other social events. This cosmopolitan
event will provide an opportunity to all Western Canadian Gujarati to
show case their rich heritage to the main stream society in an effort to
enhance the mosaic of multiculturalism in Edmonton and Alberta. We have
extended invitations to Vancouver, Calgary, Ft. McMurray, Regina,
Winnipeg and Seattle.
Alberta Gujarati Association organizes programs of this nature to
provide the population at large to sample the Gujarati culture within
the multiculturalism canvas of Canada with its vibrant rainbow colours.
Mrs. Mrudula Mehta
President, 2009-10 Alberta Gujarati Association
(Mr. Mehta is one of the founding members of Alberta Gujarati
Association in 1978)
On behalf of the Raas Garba Coordinating Committee, under the authority
of the Alberta Gujarati Association, I would like to extend a warm
welcome to our sister Gujarati organizations across western Canada to
the vibrant city of Edmonton.
Over the September long weekend we have organized a calendar full of
exciting events to enhance the opportunity for social networking, an
opportunity to compete in a number of friendly sporting events and taste
the Gujarati culture.
In an effort to engage the youth in our cultural heritage we have
arranged Dandia Raas. The highlight of the three-day Edmonton 2010 Raas
Garba Festival will be the Raas Garba competition held at the Jubilee.
This showcase event will expose our vibrant and colourful Gujarati
cultural heritage to the population at large. The evening of the
competition will culminate in a Gala Banquet dinner and dance, providing
a final opportunity for the Gujarati families and the youth to celebrate
the success of the event.
We look forward to the opportunity to host our guests across western
Canada. Please take the opportunity to browse our website where
information will be updated on a regular basis and feel free to contact
us for any other information regarding the festival.r />
We look forward to your enthusiastic participation in the event.
Hasmukh Rajani
Chair, Coordinating Committee
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 |
 |
.....And now have an overview of r />
THE CITY OF EDMONTON
also called
"CITY OF CHAMPIONS" and
"CITY OF FESTIVALS"
AND
PROVINCE OF ALBERTA
now proclaimed worldwide a
"THE
SAUDI ARABIA OF CANADA"
.....to appreciate
the 1998 and 2010 Western Canada Raas Garba Festival
hosting by
Alberta Gujarati Association.....
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The City of
Edmonton is a 106-year old
located on the
North Saskatchewan River of about 1 million people and it surrounded by 3 communities, Sherwood
Park, St. Albert and Stony Plain. The North Saskatchewan River
originates at the
Columbia Icefield in
Jasper National Park and bisects the city. Edmonton being the capital of
Alberta is cultural, governmental and educational centre. It plays host
to a year-round slate of world-class festivals, earning it the title of
"The Festival City."
Among world class festivals,
mid-August
Edmonton International Fringe Festival,
is the largest fringe theatre festival in
North America and second only to the
Edinburgh Fringe
Festival worldwide. Edmonton receives 2,299 hours of sunshine per year
and is one of Canada's sunniest cities.
Edmonton is the hub of Canada's sixth-largest
census metropolitan area. It is one of the largest cities in North
America in area at 684 km2 (264 sq miles). As per the 2006 census,
Edmonton was 71.8% White and 5.3% Aboriginal and 22.9% visible
minorities..Alberta services all the oil and gas developments
in "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Alberta">
northern Alberta/a> including the world's largest oil-sands development
and also the two Canadian provinces of
Northwest Territories and
Nunavut. Alberta is oil rich province is the only province in Canada
which has no provincial sales tax.
Edmonton has beautiful a river valley
park system with bicycle routes and walkways, winter activities,
Fort Edmonton Park, Canada's largest living history museum and has the
world's largest mall till 2006,
Valley Zoo ,
Royal Alberta Museum,
Art Gallery of Alberta,
planetarium,
Alberta Aviation Museum. and now the
North America's largest shopping and entertainment mall,
West Edmonton Mall with Water Park,
Children Theme Park, 800 stores and 100 restaurants, FantasyLand Hotel,
dinner theater, casino and night club in 5.3 million square feet of
floor space which generate over 28 million visits.
Edmonton has earned the title of "City Of Champions" with world class
sports and recreation facilities and with 7 Stanley Cup National Hockey
League (USA+Canada) wins by
Edmonton Oilers Hockey Team and thirteen times, including an
unmatched five consecutive wins between 1978 and 1982 Grey Cup win in
Canadian Football League by
Edmonton Eskimos Football team, Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Trappers,
and Edmonton Oil Kings. Having won so many championships, the city .
Edmonton has the best 1-12 grade public school system in North America.
It has a 36,000 student
University of Alberta (western Canada's largest university) with all
major faculties, a
40,791 students
Grant MacEwan University offering career diplomas, university
transfers, and bachelor's degrees, Canada's first on-line
Athabasca University,
Concordia University College of Alberta,
The King's University College,
Taylor University College and Seminary, the 48,500 students
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), offering
technical-trade diplomas, information technology degree, vocational, and
apprenticeship trade certificates, the 11,300 student
NorQuest
College specializing in short courses in skills and academic
upgrading, and the
Antarctic Institute of Canada.
Global experts have
ranked Edmonton as having one of the best potentials for economic
investment in the world with cost-competitiveness, industries,
socio-economic outlook, population, geography, land use, and housing and
a international airport. Major industrial sectors include world class
health care system under the administration of
Alberta Health Services and anchored on The
University of Alberta Hospital, including the
Stollery Children's Hospital with world class medical teaching and
research departments in diabetics, cardiovascular diseases and
pediatrics, and has a strong technology sector anchored by major
employers such as
IBM,
Telus,
Intuit Canada,
Canadian Western Bank,
BioWare,
Matrikon,
General Electric, and
Stantec Inc. The associated
biotech sector, with companies such as Afexa Life Sciences Inc.
(formerly CV Technologies). Research initiatives are anchored by
educational institutions such as the
University of Alberta as well as government initiatives underway at
the
Alberta Research Council and Edmonton Research Park. Recently, the
National Institute for Nanotechnology w was constructed on the
University of Alberta campus and Canada's western military base with
training for Canadian and NATO partners.
The Canadian Province of Alberta
with land area of 661,848 square kilometres (255,500 sq mi), an area
about 5% smaller than Texas, USA or 20% larger than metropolitan France has a
population of about 3.7 million. The
2006 census found Alberta to be multi-cultural with
English, with 2,576,670 native speakers, was the most common mother
tongue of Albertans, representing 79.99% of the province's population.
The next most common mother tongues were various
Chinese languages with 97,275 native speakers (3.02%), followed by
German with 84,505 native speakers (2.62%) and
French with 61,225 (1.90%). Other mother tongues (in decreasing
order) include:
Punjabi, with 36,320 native speakers (1.13%);
Tagalog, with 29,740 (0.92%);
Ukrainian, with 29,455 (0.91%);
Spanish, with 29,125 (0.90%);
Polish, with 21,990 (0.68%);
Arabic, with 20,495 (0.64%);
Dutch, with 19,980 (0.62%); and
Vietnamese, with 19,350 (0.60%). The most common aboriginal language
is
Cree 17,215 (0.53%). Other common mother tongues include
Italian with 13,095 speakers (0.41%);
Urdu with
11,275 (0.35%); and
Korean with 10,845 (0.33%);
Hindi 8,985 (0.28%);
Persian 7,700 (0.24%);
Portuguese 7,205 (0.22%); and
Hungarian 6,770 (0.21%).
Alberta's economy with a GDP of C$291 billion is one of the strongest
in Canada, supported by the burgeoning
petroleum industry and to a lesser extent,
agriculture and technology. The per capita GDP of Alberta by far the
highest of any province in Canada at
C$81,000. This was 61% higher than the national average of
C$46,441 and more than twice that of some of the Atlantic provinces.
In 2006 the deviation from the national average was the largest for any
province in
Canadian history. According to the 2006 census, the median annual
family income after taxes was $70,986 in Alberta (compared to $60,270 in
Canada as a whole).
Alberta is the largest producer of
conventional crude oil,
synthetic crude,
natural gas and gas products in the country. Alberta is the world’s
2nd largest exporter of natural gas and the 4th largest producer. Two of
the largest producers of
petrochemicals in
North America are located in central and north central Alberta. In
both Red Deer and Edmonton, world class
polyethylene and
vinyl
manufacturers produce products shipped all over the world, and
Edmonton's
oil refineries provide the raw materials for a large
petrochemical industry to the east of Edmonton.
The
Athabasca Oil Sands have estimated
unconventional oil reserves approximately equal to the
conventional oil reserves of the rest of the world, estimated to be
1.6 trillion barrels (254 km³). With the development of new extraction
methods such as
steam assisted gravity drainage, which was developed in Alberta,
bitumen and synthetic crude oil can be produced at costs close to those
of conventional crude. Many companies employ both conventional
strip mining and non-conventional
in situ
methods to extract the
bitumen
from the
oil
sands. With current technology and at current prices, about 315
billion barrels (50 km³) of bitumen are recoverable.
Fort McMurray, one of Canada's fastest growing cities, has grown
enormously in recent years because of the large corporations which have
taken on the task of oil production. As of late 2006 there were over
$100 billion in oil sands projects under construction or in the planning
stages in northeastern Alberta.[37]
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