‘Ramayana’ recitation draws hundreds of Hindus, Gov. Sanders to downtown Little Rock

A nine-day Hindu religious event, Shri Ram Katha, drew over 1,500 attendees to Little Rock’s Statehouse Convention Center, where spiritual leader Morari Bapu recited the 24,000-verse epic Ramayana. The ceremony emphasized moral values like family, detachment from materialism, and the triumph of good over evil. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders attended Day 5, praising shared values between Arkansas and India, such as hospitality, faith, and natural beauty. She highlighted the contributions of Indian Americans to Arkansas’s growth and expressed support for continued recognition of Hindu festivals like Diwali. Organizers noted that bringing Bapu to Little Rock took years of planning, and attendees came from across the U.S., Europe, and India. Sanders connected her Christian upbringing to the Hindu tradition, underscoring the universal importance of faith and moral storytelling.

Source: https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2025/07/02/ramayana-recitation-draws-hundreds-of-hindus-gov-sanders-to-downtown-little-rock