RAJAN ZED NEWS RELEASE
In a remarkable interfaith gesture, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed recited prayers from ancient Hindu scriptures at Baha’i Faith founder Baha’u’llah’s 194th birth anniversary celebrations in Reno yesterday.
Zed, who is president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, read Gayatri Mantra, the most sacred mantra of Hinduism, in Sanskrit and attendees repeated after him. He later translated Gayatri Mantra and other Sanskrit prayers into English.
Zed also read from Rig-Veda, oldest existing scripture of mankind, and Upanishads. Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Zed said: “Lead us from the unreal to the Real, Lead us from darkness to Light, Lead us from death to immortality.”
Bradley S. Corbin, Nevada Metherd, Nicole Pavlatos, Katie Lighthart and other Baha’is thanked Zed for participating in Baha’u’llah’s birth anniversary celebrations, which also included dinner, Baha’i readings and chants, lecture and presentation.
Baha’u’llah (means “Glory of God”) was born in Tehran (Iran) as Mirza Husayn Ali, and his birthday is one of the nine annual holy days when work is suspended. The Baha’i faith, headquartered in Haifa (Israel), newest of the world’s independent religions founded in the mid 1800s, teaches that “there is one God, that all humanity is one family and that there is a fundamental unity underlying religion.” With over five million followers throughout the world, it is claimed to be among the fastest-growing of the world’s religions and one of the most widespread.
Hinduism, the oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about a billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.
