About Dewayani Gajanan Pundit
September 23, 1932 – July 22, 2019

Dewayani (B.A., B.T., B.Ed.) was a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to many. She was also fiercely independent and passionate about education.

Dewayani was born in Indore, India where she grew up. In a time when it was rare to have a university degree, especially as a woman, Dewayani studied and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Teaching. She worked as a high school teacher and also taught Hindi in a college in Nagpur.

In 1961, at the age of 28, Dewayani was married to Gajanan Pundit and moved with him to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She continued her teaching career in Ethiopia, and then in McLellan, Alberta when she moved with her young family to Canada in 1964. Dewayani continued to teach students in McLellan, then Mundare and finally Edmonton, Alberta. She furthered her own education by completing her B.Ed. at the University of Alberta in 1967.

Dewayani supported Gajanan and their two children on her teacher's salary, enabling Gajanan to go back to university to study law and establish a successful career as a lawyer. When Gajanan was called to the bar in 1971, Dewayani became his legal assistant and helped him manage his legal practice until 1987.

Throughout her life, Dewayani was dedicated to community service and the arts. As a young woman, she hosted a Hindi program on All-India Radio in Indore for many years. In Edmonton, she hosted a Marathi program for CKER from 1989-1993. In Edmonton, Dewayani played an important role in building community as she helped found the Hindu Society of Alberta in 1967 as well as the Edmonton Ragamala Music Society in 1983. She participated in many Hindu cultural programs and was a connoisseur of Indian classical music, hand embroidery, as well as Indian and English literature. She was a gifted writer of Marathi and Hindi poems and stories.

About Gajanan (“Lala”) Shambhu Pundit June 8, 1931 – April 5, 2022

Gajanan (B.Sc., B.Ed., LL.B.) was a husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a cherished friend and father figure to so many. Gajanan was born in Chorao, Goa and grew up in Mapusa. Continually in pursuit of higher education, Gajanan earned degrees of B.Sc., B.Ed. and LL.B. in India, and then embarked on an adventure to teach in Ethiopia in 1960.

Gajanan went back to India to marry Dewayani in 1961. They started their life together in Ethiopia where they were both teachers. After relocating to Alberta and spending several years as a teacher, Gajanan wished to pursue his true passion, becoming a lawyer after attending law school at the University of Alberta. He was called to the bar in 1971, the first lawyer of Indian descent in Alberta.

Gajanan was dedicated to his family, his community and his profession. Education was foundational for him and he insisted that his children and grandchildren pursue academic excellence and professional careers. Gajanan never tired of his work and practiced law until the age of 81. He was generous to the community in taking on pro-bono work for the underprivileged.

He was devoted to fostering the Hindu community in Edmonton and was one of the founders of the Hindu Society of Alberta and the Edmonton Raga-mala Music Society. He gained nourishment through Indian classical music and Hindu scriptures - in particular, the Bhagavad Gita which he loved to recite from memory. He spoke seven languages and loved poetry.

Over $4,000 given in grants since 2022

Grants have been provided to students attending:

Mount Royal University Foundation

Simon Fraser University

Vancouver Community College