[ South Tahoe Now ] Reno religious leader Zed to open US Senate with prayer for the second time on July 30

Rajan Zed, a distinguished Hindu statesman, is scheduled to deliver the opening prayer in the United States Senate for the second time on July 30. He previously read the invocation in the Senate in 2007, an event that was met with protests and disruptions. Zed has also delivered Hindu opening prayers in 310 other legislative bodies across 44 US states and Canada, setting a remarkable record. Most of these were the first Hindu prayers in those legislative bodies.

For the upcoming Senate prayer, Zed plans to begin and end with the sacred syllable “Om,” which symbolizes the universe in Hinduism. The prayer will include hymns from the world’s oldest extant scripture. During the invocation, Zed will recite English interpretations of original Sanskrit verses from the Rig-Veda, as well as lines from the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord).

The Senate’s guidelines specify that the opening prayer must be given exclusively in English. Zed will invoke the Gayatri Mantra, considered the most sacred mantra in Hinduism, and share verses from the Brahadaranyakopanishad, emphasizing the transition from the unreal to the real, darkness to light, and mortality to immortality. He will also encourage senators and others present to prioritize the welfare of others.

Rajan Zed will wear traditional saffron-colored attire, including a kurta-pajama and a rudraksha mala (rosary), along with a sandal-paste tilak on his forehead. As a global Hindu and interfaith leader, he has received the World Interfaith Leader Award and actively participates in discussions on religion and faith. Hinduism, the world’s oldest and third-largest religion, has approximately 1.2 billion adherents, with around three million Hindus in the USA.

Source: Conversation with Copilot
Reno religious leader Zed to open US Senate with prayer for the second time on July 30. https://www.southtahoenow.com/reader-content/07/19/2024/reno-religious-leader-zed-open-us-senate-prayer-second-time-july-30