By Nirmala Ramprasad
Living in a fast-paced, career driven culture it can be easy to get caught up in the hustle of everyday life. However, in 2014, a group of young women came together and with their combined skills, talents and dedication they founded the Green Dupatta Charitable Organization in Toronto.
Green Dupatta is dedicated to sustainable development and agriculture. The organization has spent the past four years primarily restoring and renovating a community centre in Leonora, WCD, Guyana.
Every second year, members of the organization have travelled to Guyana to oversee and assist with the renovation process. So far they have successfully fixed the building's foundation as well as the leaky roof, repaved the interior bottom floor, repainted the interior and exterior of the building, repaved the yard, put up a new concrete fence, renovated and retiled the two bathrooms and created a community garden where fruits and vegetables are planted.
This site is now transformed and can be used to its full potential. It houses a 'pay-what-you-can' daycare centre, free yoga and meditation classes, and is used by community members as a space to host functions and celebrations.
As this project comes to a close, Green Dupatta hopes to expand its boarders and continue to give communities the resources they need to strive. In the upcoming year, Green Dupatta's executive will be engaged in a variety of research to determine their next project/s and the best plan of action.
In order to raise funds for their projects Green Dupatta hosts, and participates in a variety of community events throughout the year. During the summer, executive members and volunteers spend their time at community fairs, such as the Unionville Street Festival and the Durham Caribbean Festival, offering henna and free face-painting to the public.
In the winter months, Green Dupatta hosts an Annual Charity Gala – its biggest fundraiser of the year. This year's gala will be on Saturday November 17th at Avani Event Centre (8400 Jane Street). It is a night filled with live singers and dancers, as well as a delicious meal by Caribbean Lyme and an open dance floor.
To learn more about Green Dupatta and/or to help support these young people in their philanthropic projects, you may visit their website: www.greendupatta. com

The Tridevi Goddesses – Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati – are feminine aspects of the masculine Trimurti Gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Mahase (Shiva). The roles of the Tridevi mirror those of their male counterparts: Creator (Maha Sarasvati), Preserver (Maha Laxmi), and Destroyer (Maha Kali – Parvati as Durga with her demon destroyer powers). At Diwali we worship the Tridevi Saraswati, Lakshmi, Parvati.
Saraswati Mata, the Creator, is the Goddess of Light who dispels our ignorance and inner darkness through her grace. The Goddess of learning, the arts, and culture, she grants wisdom, knowledge, for the betterment of our minds and refinement of our character. She is generally shown as a graceful Goddess in spotless white clothes, seated on a lotus seat, with four hands, one holding a Veena, a musical instrument, the remaining three holding a book, a rosary and lotus respectively.
Lakshmi Mata, the preserver, is the Goddess of wealth, fertility, material fulfilment, magnificence, joy and exaltation. She is worshipped as a goddess who grants both worldly prosperity as well as liberation from the cycle of birth and death. She is a protector as well as bestower. She also protects from ill health and adversity. In Hinduism, worship of Lakshmi is considered a suitable remedy for the alleviation of suffering. Wealth plays an important role in life on earth. Hence, as the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi fulfils her duties as the nourisher, preserver and provider.

Parvati – Durga Maa, the demon-fighting Kali, is the Goddess of power, beauty, love, and spiritual fulfilment, embodiment of female dynamism.
The Tridevi of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga are worshipped in our womenfolk, our mothers, aunts, sisters and daughters. They embody all the attributes of Tridevi, of beauty and kindness. They lend brightness to our homes and our life. They are the rich spring and nourishment which make us prosper in our life.
In my case, Laskhmi Mata has always been my mother, my mussi, my phuwas, chachis, didis, women cousins, daughters and nieces. They each one of them radiate those qualities of Tri Devi, not least beauty, abundant love, generosity, inspiration and encouragement, the driving force of any success and prosperity I have achieved in my life. I feel this is so of everyone of us.
Diwali marks the beginning of a new year. Business people open new accounts, placing a coin in their new account books. Diwali is a time for thanksgiving prayers, for the family get together, for love, goodwill and generosity, for greetings, gifts and sweets. We thank God, and pray for prosperity in the New Year. Diyas, little clay lamps decorate our homes, everywhere.
Diwali also celebrates many great events for Hindus: the marriage of Divine Mother Lakshmi to Lord Vishnu; the death of wicked king Naraksura at the hands of Lord Krishna; Lord Vishnu's humbling of arrogant Balli; the day Great King Vikram Aditya ascended his throne; the visit of generous King Mahaballi; the return of Princess Deepa, and prosperity to her kingdom. Goddess Kali is worshipped at Diwali, to banish all evil from the world. On Diwali night, Pitrus, departed souls, flickering as lights, ascend to the heavens.
It is the day when jealous and selfish Queen Kaikeyi accepted defeat and repented for her wrongs. She had thrown the kingdom of Ayodhya into darkness, when she secured the banishment of Lord Rama who was heir to the throne, so that her son Bharat would be crowned king. Diwali celebrates the end of Lord Rama's 14 years in exile, his victory over demon king Rawan and his triumphant return to assume his rightful place as king. Millions of lights showed the way to Holy City Ayodhya, itself aglow with lights on Diwali night.
We pray to Lord Ganesh, the all powerful elephant-headed God of wisdom and good fortune, the Remover of obstacles, for his blessings for success to attend all our undertakings.
Goddess Lakshmi visits every home on Diwali night, and lives in that home which is beautiful and clean, where peace, harmony, knowledge and goodness dwell, and where beautiful lights brighten the home to welcome everyone.
Goddess Laksmi, born out of the ocean of milk, comes out of a lotus flower, holds lotus flowers in her hands, the lotus flowers representing purity. Her other hands are giving. As Goddess of wealth Mother Lakshmi shares her wealth with everyone who worships her. At Diwali time every door is decorated with rangoli patterns, made with coloured rice or powders, welcoming visitors, especially Mother Laksmi, who will bless us with wealth, happiness and prosperity.
Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil. We all know that in life, good does triumph over evil, however long it may take. For many of us who suffer under injustice and evil, Diwali reminds us that the suffering ends one day. It gives us hope when nothing else is there to hang on to.
Diwali celebrates light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. Light is a blessing. In daylight, life thrives. In darkness, we welcome light. Diwali celebrating knowledge over ignorance, reminds us of the value of knowledge. Knowledge over the millennia has made daily chores of living easier. Knowledge of ourselves shows us the way to a better quality of life, free from conflict, a life of harmony and more caring towards one another.
Diwali lights are our prayer, as in the Sanskrit verse: 'Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya.' -'Lead us O Divine Mother from darkness into light, from ignorance onto knowledge.'

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