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Lord Ayyappa Temple at Scarborough in Ontario - New Canada Hindu Temple

After ten years of hard work, the Sri Ayyappa Samajam Ontario, Canada, has built an elaborate Hindu temple for Lord Ayyappa on Middlefield Rd. near Finch Ave. E, at Scarborough at Ontario. The inauguration of the temple and the murti puja and consecration took place on September 5 and September 6, 2009. The function was attended by more than 50,000 Ayyappa devotees residing in Canada who are mostly of South Indian and Sri Lankan origin.

The main Murti of Lord Ayyappa is enclosed in a chamber similar to the one seen at Sabarimala and the temple also has eighteen steps. The temple also has specific spots for Murtis of other deities from Hindu Pantheon.

Each chamber in the temple is noted for its intricate designs and paintings and the 22,000-square-foot temple cost $10 million.

The Star Writes

"It's a very important day for us," said Thiru Sivasamy, devotee, volunteer and treasurer of the temple board, during the inauguration yesterday. "The temple has been built by first-generation Sri Lankan and Indian immigrants who may not have had too much money to donate, but had faith."

The Murtis were created by a dozen artists from southern India, said Sivasamy.

"Everything is magnificent," said Arunshee Arulanantham, a 14-year-old from Scarborough, who spent the weekend volunteering at the temple. "I've never seen anything like the Murtis here."

Some also visited the old temple on the site, one-tenth the size of the new one – a reminder of how quickly this barren land was transformed.

For sisters Tharaniya and Thanusha Thevarajah, the temple is a symbol of a strong and diverse society. "People from different countries came together to create this amazing place," said Tharaniya, 17.

Pranavan Ganeshalingam, a student at York University's Schulich School of Business, said the temple has helped bring him closer to his culture. The 19-year-old, whose parents are from Sri Lanka, volunteered all weekend with two dozen other friends.