Dinuba City Council in California to have 1st Hindu invocation in 106 years

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Dinuba City Council in California (USA) will reportedly have its first Hindu opening prayer on June 12 since the city was incorporated in 1906, containing verses from world’s oldest existing scripture.

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 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.

Dinuba claims to be a city with a "forward thinking attitude". Notable people associated with it include theoretical physicist Bryce Seligman DeWitt,   artist Ester Hernandez, blood-bank founder Oswald Hope Robertson, writer William Michaelian, Voyager designer Burt Rutan, actress Claramae Turner, footballer Russ Letlow and cinematographer Stephen H. Burum. Mike Smith, Janet C. Hinesly and Edward Todd are Mayor, Vice Mayor and City Manager respectively.