Illinois’ Rockford City Council to open with Hindu prayer for the first time in 164 years

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 Aldermen 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
conditions 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, and on Advisory Board of The Interfaith Peace Project, 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.

Rockford,
chartered as a city in 1852, on the banks of the Rock River, is the
third largest city in Illinois. It is known for Phantom Regiment Drum
and Bugle Corps; Mendelssohn Club, claimed to be the oldest music
club in the nation; Cheap Trick rock band; etc. Lawrence J. Morrissey
is the Mayor.