Nevada State Legislature to open with Hindu prayer

WASHINGTON: History will be created when Director of Public Affairs of Hindu Temple of Northern Nevada Rajan Zed will offer Hindu prayers at the opening of the Nevada State Assembly session on March 19 and Nevada State Senate session on May 7, both in Carson City.

This will be first time any Hindu prayer will be delivered in the Nevada State Legislature since its formation in 1864, says a news release quoting Pastor Albert Tilstra, Chaplain Coordinator for Nevada Legislature. Zed will be seated at the podium next to the Presiding Officer.

Rajan Zed says that though he still has to choose which prayer he will deliver, but he is thinking something from Rig Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, dated from around 1,500 BCE.

But he adds that keeping with the Legislature tradition, prayer will offer inspiration, reflection, and encouragement, and will be thought provoking. The prayer will then be included in the Daily Journal of the legislature, which is a permanent public record.