Darius Brahma Maharaj Hunter

Every creature in the universe is subject to rebirth Arjuna, except the one who is united with me” - Shri Krishna.

Darius was born on April 27, 1996 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the oldest child of Anjanie Maharaj - Hunter and David Hunter, and brother to Shivani Amira Maharaj Hunter. He was married to the one and only love of his life, Delyar Khaleh, on August 8th, 2021.

Darius lived life with passion, each step he took in life was steeped in a love for family and friends and an adherence to the Hindu philosophy. Six years ago he found his true love, Delyar, they choose each other to walk this path together, and were recently married among their closest family and friends in what Darius described as “this is the best day of my life.” How blessed we were to be part of their day.

Those who know him, know that his mainstream achievements were just the tip of the iceberg: his debating skills began in grade 7 at St Maurice school where he won numerous awards, he went on to win Rupert’s land tournament, the Asper cup and other national public speaking awards; in 2014 he was a competitor on the world stage, placing 5th in Lithuania in the debate world championship. At 18 he received a double black belt in Taekwondo. These are but a few of his many achievements.

Darius also had a charitable side to him, seeking to support those less fortunate than himself, he brought not only his own resources to the Winnipeg Missionaries of Charity but encouraged many others to do the same. Most recently Darius and Delyar, sponsored a child in India.

Darius had the best of both worlds; his academic career was his seeking of knowledge of another kind. He secured his BA in political science and took this one step further by being a campaign organizer for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. Most recently Darius went on to achieve his Juris Doctorate degree and was presently an articling student. While pursuing his academic career he established the Hindu Students council at the University of Manitoba. In 2016 CBC identified him as a nationally recognized interfaith dialogue facilitator. He initiated, organized and spoke at many interfaith forums, seeking to bring faith groups together for a common good. A year ago, Darius enrolled in a Program through the University of California, Religious Studies Department to become a pundit of the Hindu faith. He was well on his way to completing this lifetime goal.

Darius always sought to find something greater, something eternal, something he believed was his calling. He was drawn to this quest for a deeper understanding of our true nature, at a very early age when he would sit with his grandfather in his prayer room, asking many questions, and helping in performing religious ceremonies. This seeking became a lifetime goal, one which we believed he achieved. He had many strong connections with spiritual gurus globally, included among them were Ram Dass, Krishna Dass, Neem Karoli Baba and Amma where he sought wisdom.

In discussions about Hindu philosophy, he would often speak of the principal that we do not die, only the body dies, like a piece of clothing discarded because it has served its purpose. And so, as Darius would have told us, he has served his purpose on earth and will now move forward on his journey to further enlightenment. It is bittersweet that while he may have attained his goal, we now grieve his parting of this physical world.

Darius now joins his grandparents Camal Ramnanan Maharaj, Mahadeo Sooksagar Maharaj, and Barbara Hunter. He leaves behind his wife Delyar Hunter (nee Khaleh), mother Anjanie Maharaj-Hunter, his father David Hunter, his grandfather David Hunter Sr, and his sister Shivani Maharaj-Hunter. Along with this, he leaves behind his many uncles and aunts and spouses and partner; Winston Maharaj (Nardia), Vidya Maharaj-Grimsley (Allan), Suenita Maharaj-Sandhu (Sudhir), his mother and father-in-law Zibandeh Fotovat and Yousef Khaleh, brother in laws Daniel Khaleh and Davin Khaleh, and uncle Salar Fotovat

His cousins Anjali, Antara and Anaka Sandhu and Tamir and Anya Maharaj. He will be dearly missed by his family including cousins, aunts and uncles from across Canada, USA, Trinidad and the UK.

We will miss him dearly. Every day! But we will find strength in accepting his faith and understanding that Darius is simply where he needs to be. And one day we hope to meet in a place free of birth where our energies can become one.

It is our belief that the soul is part of the Divine Essence and by nature, pure and perfect, infinite in power and blessed, was never created, will never die, but will pass from stage to stage until it achieves perfection” - Upanishads

We invite family friends and to join us for a celebration of Darius’s life on Monday, August 16 at Thomson "In the Park" Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Boulevard.

Services will proceed as follows:

Public viewing (outdoor) from 12:45 pm - 1:30 pm. Indoor services start at 2:00 pm, Reception at 3:30 pm.

Services will be held in the Chapel with limited assigned indoor seating for family.

Outdoor tent seating for 150 additional attendees will be provided. The service will streamed to video monitors in the tent.

Please forgive us that current restrictions will not allow us to seat everyone inside. After the service, we invite you to stay for an outdoor reception to share with family and friends.

Thank you for your kindness and support at this very difficult time.