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Rancho Cordova City Council in California (USA) will reportedly have its first Hindu opening prayer on July two, containing verses from world’s oldest existing scripture.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver the opening prayer from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the City Council. After Sanskrit delivery, he then will read the English translation of the prayer. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.

Zed, who is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, will recite from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He plans to start and end the prayer with “Om”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.

Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Rajan Zed plans to say “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya”, which he will then translate as “Lead me from the unreal to the Real, Lead me from darkness to Light, and Lead me from death to Immortality.” Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he proposes to urge councilmembers to keep the welfare of others always in mind.

Zed is a global Hindu and interfaith leader, who besides taking up the cause of religion worldwide, has also raised huge voice against the apartheid faced by about 15-million Roma (Gypsies) in Europe. Bestowed with World Interfaith Leader Award; Zed is Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, Spiritual Advisor to National Association of Interchurch & Interfaith Families, etc.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

Tagline of All-America City Award winner female-majority City of Rancho Cordova is “City Life. Reinvented” and one of its goals is “Empower responsible citizenship”. It is home to historic Matthew Kilgore Cemetery and 46-acres Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prominent people associated with it include baseball players Geoff Jenkins and Max Venable, football player Seneca Wallace, “Real Life” comics author Greg Dean and actor Tyler Coppin. Dr. David M. Sander, Linda Budge and Ted A. Gaebler are Mayor, Vice Mayor and City Manager respectively.

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Hindu Studies Chair at University of Southern California

The University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles (USA) is creating its first Chair of Hindu Studies.

Funded by a $3.24 million gift from Dharma Civilization Foundation, it will be named as Swami Vivekananda Visiting Faculty in Hindu Studies and the Dharma Civilization Foundation Chair in Hindu Studies.  Over 1,800 Indian students are currently enrolled at USC.

Welcoming the establishment of Hindu Studies Chair, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this Chair would focus in this direction.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged other major universities of the world to establish chairs in Hindu studies to explore and disseminate the rich philosophical thought that Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents, offered.

USC, launched in 1880 with 53 students; now has about 38,000 students, over 240,000 living alumni, 17 professional schools and an annual budget of $3.2 billion. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has nominated at least one USC alumnus every year since the inception of the Academy Awards in 1929; and since 1912, USC is the only university in the world to have a gold medal-winning athlete in every summer Olympiad. It boasts of three Nobel Laureates and many prominent alumni including actor John Wayne and first-man-on-the-moon Neil Armstrong. Annual undergraduate tuition is $42,818. C. L. Max Nikias, Elizabeth Garrett and Duncan Williams are President, Provost and Religion School Chair respectively.

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Porterville City Council in California to open with Hindu mantras 1st time

City Council of Porterville (California, USA), incorporated in 1902, will reportedly have its first Hindu invocation on July three, containing verses from world’s oldest existing scripture.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver the opening prayer from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the City Council. After Sanskrit delivery, he then will read the English translation of the prayer. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.

Zed, who is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, will recite from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He plans to start and end the prayer with “Om”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.

Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Rajan Zed plans to say “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya”, which he will then translate as “Lead me from the unreal to the Real, Lead me from darkness to Light, and Lead me from death to Immortality.” Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he proposes to urge councilmembers to keep the welfare of others always in mind.

Zed is a global Hindu and interfaith leader, who besides taking up the cause of religion worldwide, has also raised huge voice against the apartheid faced by about 15-million Roma (Gypsies) in Europe. Bestowed with World Interfaith Leader Award; Zed is Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, Spiritual Advisor to National Association of Interchurch & Interfaith Families, etc.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

Bestowed with All-America City Award, Porterville is home to California’s longest-running community theater (Barn Theater), Iris Festival, Lake Success, three structures listed on National Registry of Historic Places and Persian Lime. Notable people associated with Porterville include actresses Barbara Baxley and Margaret Hamilton, NASCAR driver Dick Brooks, Pulitzer Prize Winner novelist Allen Drury, Olympic Gold Medalist Sim Iness, football player James Sanders and basketball player Bill Sharman. John D. Lollis is the City Manager of this city nestled up against the Sierra Nevada.