Many people wonder about who makes up the population within the Saranagati Valley. There is a lack of multimedia content depicting locals going about their daily lives. However, some films which are produced during festivals like Ratha Yatra give the impression that there are many Indians/Bharatiyas in Saranagati. This couldn't be further from the truth.
Of the fifty-some shareholders with a stake in the land, there are but three of Bharat origin. Two of these shareholders only visit seasonally and have faced many challenges attempting to establish themselves. The other family will soon be selling their share and moving. There are personal reasons as well as sociological issues that contribute to this demographic.
Visiting Bharatiyas who ask about the possibilities of moving here and becoming established are often met with unclear answers about complications, limitations, and general discouragement. While there are ways to become connected, it depends on who you talk to, because everyone has a different perspective.
Many of the residents who live in Saranagati originally came to this valley to get away from the city, as the Vancouver temple was starting to come under the management of Indian devotees. There is a sense of protectiveness and an undercurrent of preserving the status quo which pervades both the Saranagati temple and the SVHI corporation, therefore there are no Bharatiyas on the Board of Directors or the Temple Council.