UCalgary Desi Diaries: Sanatan Students’ Society hosts Saraswati Puja 

By Reyam Jamaleddine and Ethan Parker, February 11 2025—

On Feb. 5th, 2025, the Sanatan Students’ Society at the University of Calgary hosted their first Saraswati Puja.

A Puja is a ceremonial worship ritual in the Hindu religion. A Sarawasti Puja is a ritual performed in devotion for the goddess of knowledge and wisdom, Sarwawasti. This event took place in South Courtyard at the MacEwan Student Centre and entailed the Puja ceremony, food, performances, and attendance by students and faculty members of the U of C. 

The Puja and cultural activities took place from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Faculty members who attended attest to the event’s ability to unite students and in fostering student engagement through creating a vibrant platform of cultural connection at the University of Calgary.

From 12 p.m. onward, the event hosted an Open Talent Showcase, which was a crucial part in promoting a vibrant platform for cultural enrichment. This talent show performances such as singing from students at the U of C in languages such as Hindi and Bengali. 

“I am really delighted to find out about the celebration of Saraswati Puja at the University of Calgary. It was such a pleasant surprise, and being able to celebrate the event right here in Calgary is very nostalgic and brings back a lot of fond memories from back home.” said Badhan Saha a student at the U of C in an interview with the Gauntlet. 

Likewise, the event not only connected students at the U of C but there were also several art pieces at the event made for the event by children from across the city, building community connections. 

The Sanatan Students’ Society at the U of C is founded on the intention of promoting Sanatan (Hindu) Dharma through mindfulness, discussions and events. A Dharma is a religious and moral law in Hinduism that governs an individual’s conduct. 

“Sanatan Student Society is a student-led and student-formed club that is dedicated to celebrating Sanatan, which is also known as Hinduism. This is an ancient religion, where the word Sanatan means eternal in Sanskrit.”

“The word eternal means timeless, so Sanatan Dharma represents the timeless spiritual practices, beliefs, and the values that guide the followers of Hinduism in their daily lives and by embracing the philosophy of Sanatan, we target or our main goal to build a strong foundation for spiritual growth and unity for students on campus and create a platform for students to share their beliefs,” said Chandrima Podder, a second year science and engineering student and president of the club in an interview with the Gauntlet. 

Although this is a religious club, the group members intend for their events to be open to the entire campus community, regardless of an individual’s background. This club aims to diverse and inclusive. 

“All our sessions, events, and whatever rituals we have our host on campus are open for everyone, regardless of their racial or religious background that they belong to, so it’s open for everyone. We have students from different countries, we have Bangladeshi, Indian, Sri Lankan all over the world, international and domestic students … Sometimes we pick a religious topic to discuss about, and we allow everyone to share their ideas of what they believe and what they think,” explained Podder. 

In addition to the events that are religiously centered around Sanatan Dharma, the club hosts events that benefit students in their professional and academic careers. They do this in a variety of forms in order to engage students in their long-term pursuits. 

“We also host career sessions now and then on a monthly basis, where we invite guest speakers from outside, where students can also get an insight on how to build their resumes, build those connections that will help them prepare for their academics and their career in the long run,” said Podder. 

The overarching messaging and motivation for the formation and continuation of this club is rooted in community building and inclusivity. This club is not only for people who follow the Hindu faith, but for all students on campus.  

“The motive of our club as well is that the world is one family, and in Sanskrit we call this so, and this the translation for this is the world is one family. So we believe that, regardless of the racial differences, religious differences, and any sort of differences, we all are humans. We all have the same belief and the same goal. And ultimately. So that’s our belief,” said Podder. 

To learn more about Sanatan, Saraswati Puja or to become a member check out the clubs linktree. 

This article is a part of our Voices section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.