As a remarkable interfaith gesture, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver prayer from ancient Sanskrit scriptures at the event to commemorate “The Centenary of the Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha’”, head of the Baha’i Faith from 1892 to 1921, in Reno (Nevada) on November 28.

 

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, plans to recite from Rig-Veda, world’s oldest extant scripture; 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.

 

After Sanskrit delivery, Rajan Zed will then read the English interpretation of the prayers. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.

 

Zed, a global Hindu and interfaith leader, has been bestowed with World Interfaith Leader Award. Zed is Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, on the Advisory Board of The Interfaith Peace Project, etc. He has been panelist for “On Faith”, a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post; and produces a weekly multi-faith panel “Faith Forum” in a Gannett publication for over ten years.

 

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

 

According to bahai.org: The Bahá’í Faith is established in more than 100,000 localities in virtually every country and territory around the world.