BRAMPTON, ON Date 16 August — “Should I give you a flower or its fragrance? You have arrived with love, let me give you the entire season.” These warm words marked the welcoming speech at a special picnic organized by Gujarati veterinary doctors residing in Canada. On Sunday, August 16th, Gujarati Veterinarians gathered with their families at Heart Lake Park’s Birchview Point in Brampton to celebrate Independence Day and enjoy a day of community bonding.
The event commenced with a patriotic flag-hoisting ceremony. The attendees raised both the Canadian maple leaf and the Indian Tricolor Flags, singing the national anthems and saluting both flags. Mishti Patel beautifully played the Canadian national anthem on the keyboard to mark the occasion.
In his opening address, Dr. Merja reminded everyone of their roots, stating, “Just as parents give us life and teachers give us knowledge, our motherland gives us our identity. The country of India and its waving Tricolour flag are the identity of us all.” He then moved the crowd by reciting: “The pride of the nation, the glory of the nation, we are the children of Hindustan. The lovely three-coloured tricolour is our very identity.”
Following a solemn tribute to the late Dr. Anjaria Sir and Dr. K. N. Vyas Sir, the community extended a warm welcome to several distinguished professors visiting from Gujarat, including Prof. M. N. Brahmbhatt, Prof. M. T. Panchal, Prof. J. N. Mistry, and Prof. Paresh Pandya.
Presenting an overview of the “Navguj Family” network, Dr. Merja noted that the community held its very first picnic in 2007 with just 40 members. Today’s gathering marked their 20th landmark picnic, boasting 130 members in attendance. The visiting professors expressed immense pride and joy learning how these doctors arrived in Canada as ordinary immigrants, conquered the challenging North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) to secure their licenses, and built highly successful veterinary practices.
Senior veterinarians Dr. Mansukh Gadhiya and Dr. Jayesh Gohil, who also arrived from Gujarat, were welcomed by Dr. Merja with a custom shayari: ” Your footsteps were to arrive here today…. and even the flowers have lowered their gaze in modesty.”
The event heavily spotlighted the brilliant achievements of the community’s new generation of veterinarians.
Notably, Dr. Jay Pakhawala was congratulated for becoming the “First and Fastest Specialist in Internal Medicine” from the prestigious Animal Medical Center in Manhattan.
The community also applauded several other rising stars:
- Dr. Rishi Devendra Patel (Radiology Residency, Florida)
- Dr. Parth Karshan Bareliya (Rotating Internship, New York)
- Dr. Nimitt Vipul Patel (Rotating Internship, New Jersey)
- Dr. Mit Vaghela (Passing the licensing examination)
- Krish Devendra Patel (Admission to the Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph)
- Jyot Patel (Admission to the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, with congratulations accepted by his father, Vasudev Patel).
Newly arrived young veterinarians, Dr. Tanvi Bhavsar and Dr. Harsh Thaker, were also introduced and encouraged to build successful careers under the mentorship of these established senior doctors. Amidst the professional milestones, the family network also celebrated life’s milestones, welcoming its youngest member, 7-month-old “Master Atharva,” and congratulating Dr. Aruna and Dr. Jay Pakhawala on his birth. Additionally, Dr. Parth Chaudhary’s two-month-old baby was also present at the picnic with his mom and dad, adding to the charm of the event.
The logistical success of the large gathering was credited to Dr. Atul Pakhawala, who put immense effort into coordinating with veterinary families across Canada, inviting the visiting professors, arranging the park site, setting up emergency tents for rain protection, and organizing on-site catering.
Set in the lap of nature, the afternoon was filled with laughter, nostalgia, and classic games like musical chairs, Antakshari, and a lively Garba session. Attendees treated themselves to sandwiches, pakoras, tea, cutlets, and fresh watermelon. Dr. Suresh Prajapati brought a special ice gola-making machine to the park, where Jyotsna Vinod Patel, Sadhana Devendra Patel, Varsha Suresh Prajapati, Meenakshi Ashish Prajapati, Parul Narottam Patel, and Deepal Varshesh Patel prepared and served the sweet Ice Gola treats. For dinner, everyone savored fresh, piping-hot Punjabi food served directly from the Doaba catering truck.
Concluding the event, Prof. Dr. Panchal highly praised the rapid progress of the Gujarati veterinary community in Canada. Dr. Hasmukh Merja wrapped up the celebrations in his signature poetic style, using custom couplets to thank and honor the event’s generous sponsors: Dr. Jay Pakhawala (Food), Jatinder and Reshma Sharma (Main Sponsors), Rubin D’Souza (Site), Dr. Pramod Darji (Watermelon), and Dr. Barvaliya & Dr. Bhanderi (Buttermilk). And finally, after happily enjoying dinner and drinking the special buttermilk, everyone took part in a group photo session before parting ways from the picnic.