Hindu mantras open both Utah County & Provo City Councils

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Settled by Mormon pioneers in 1849, both Provo Municipal Council and Utah County Commission in the state of Utah (USA) launched their meetings with Hindu invocations for the first time on September 18, containing verses from world’s oldest existing scripture.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed delivered the invocations from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the County Commission and Municipal Council. After Sanskrit delivery, he then read the English translation of the prayers. 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, recited 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 started and ended the prayers with “Om”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.

Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Rajan Zed said, “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya”, which he then translated 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 urged councilmembers and commissioners to keep the welfare of others always in mind.

Wearing saffron colored attire, a ruddraksh mala (rosary), and traditional sandalpaste tilak (religious mark) on the forehead, Zed sprinkled few drops of water from river Ganga of India, considered holy by Hindus, around the podium before the prayers. Utah County Commission Chair Larry Ellertson and Provo Municipal Council Chair Laura H. Cabanilla welcomed and thanked Zed. “It is a historic moment of pride for the community when the prayers from ancient Sanskrit scriptures are being read in this great hall of democracy”, Zed stated before starting the invocations.

Rajan 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.

Female majority Provo, whose tagline is "making life better", is home to nation’s third largest private Brigham Young University, multinational software company Novell; and has been listed as "enticing city for new careers", “least stressful midsized city in the nation” and “top 10 places to raise a family” by various magazines. Prominent people associated with it include motivational speaker/author Stephen Covey, composer Merrill Jenson, family music group The Osmonds, author Brandon Sanderson and football player Steve Young. John Curtis is the Mayor.

Utah County boasts of 172 listings on National Register of Historic Places. Prominent people associated with it include actor Robert Redford, television inventor Philo Farnsworth, Olympic medalist Shauna Rohbock and boxer Jack Dempsey.