A glowing example of community spirit!
 

The Niagara Hindu Samaj exemplifies the courage of the members of the Hindu and Jain communities in the Niagara region.

Beginning in the mid-eighties, community members would meet at each others’ homes over the weekend to pray and worship together. Festivals used to be celebrated either at the homes of community members or at rented venues.  

This period marked the establishment of the Niagara Hindu Samaj as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the task of raising awareness of  Hinduism and Jainism within the mainstream community.

 

Outstanding visionary, scholar and true karmayogi, Dr, Udayan P. Rege was Professor of Finance at Brock University in St. Catharines. He was gifted with exemplary leadership skills, vision and compassion. Under his stewardship, the Niagara Hindu Samaj grew from a fledgling organization to a well-established entity representing the interests of the Hindu and Jain communities in the Niagara region. During the late nineties, Dr. Rege galvanized the community to action. Inspired by his vision, community members gathered courage enough to dream. Very shortly thereafter, the collective dream came true with the establishment of the Shiv Mandir (temple) in 1999 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Dr. Rege passed away in January 2000 after a valiant battle with cancer. He is fondly remembered by the community that he served so well.