Canberra's Indian-Australian community are "shocked" by the suspected murder of two young boys whose bodies were found in a Gungahlin lake last weekend.
Harrison Primary School students Pradyuth and his brother Pranav Vivekanandan, 8, died in a suspected murder-suicide at the hands of their mother in Yerrabi Pond.
A candlelight vigil organised by the Indian Australia Association Canberra will be held at the Yerrabi Pond Rotary rotunda on Sunday, November 13 at 6pm.
The organisation's president, Sandi Mitra, said Canberra's close-knit Indian-Australian community was shocked by the boys' devastating deaths.
"I mean, two little boys. Can you believe? I mean, they have not even seen the life. I'm getting emotional now," he said.
"[The] communities are really shocked.
"These sort of things, I have never come across in my whole life ... These sort of things are just beyond our imagination to start to explain. There's just no explanation."
Mr Mitra said the family did not seem to be integrated into the community, or known to Canberra's Indian or multicultural leaders.
Despite this, he said all Canberrans were invited to pay tribute to the "departed souls".
"What we're trying to do is encourage the community to come and pay tribute to the departed souls [regardless] of their beliefs, class, creed, race," Mr Mitra said.
Flowers have already been laid at Yerrabi Pond by Gungahlin's grieving community in memoriam of the children who died.
One heartbreaking note written in a child's handwriting paid tribute to eight-year-old Pranav alongside a Winnie the Poo teddy bear.
Little Peppa Pig figurines were also scattered among bunches of flowers.
The principal of Harrison Primary School has also expressed his condolences and offered support to students and families.
In a letter from November 8, Andy Mison said the boys' father - who had been interviewed by police - thanked the community.
"I have spoken to the boys' father, he has asked me to pass on his thanks for our community's care and concern," he said.
"We will work with the family in due course to find an appropriate way to celebrate and remember these two wonderful boys.
"The support and care our staff have shown for each other and our students this week has been remarkable, especially as many are themselves experiencing shock and grief."
India Australia Canberra Association treasurer Abhinaw Srivastava wants Canberra to have more multilingual mental health services.
"We have to start doing something for this. Start providing more mental health services, and providing more multilingual service," he said.
"These things are lacking."
Mr Mitra said he wanted migrants and the whole Canberra community to know "it is okay [to not] be okay."
"There is help, there is support, but you just need to reach out," Mr Mitra said.
"Please talk to someone because it is okay [to not] be okay.
"There is always a light after the dark side of the tunnel."
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732
