Hindus are urging for a permanent and dedicated Prayer Room in the University of Maryland (UMD) at College Park, which claims to be “one of the nation's preeminent public research universities”.

UMD already has a designated prayer space for another religion.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that UMD should respond to the requirements of Hindu students to provide a designated prayer-meditation hall for rituals, quiet reflection, festivals and spiritual exercise, which would help in their personal growth.

Zed, who is the President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that the Hindu Prayer Room would be a step in the positive direction, given the substantial number of Hindu students at UMD, as it is important to meet their spiritual needs. Some other universities/colleges in the USA now offer Hindu prayer rooms.

Rajan Zed suggested that the Hindu Prayer Room preferably should have a shrine containing murtis (statues) of popular Hindu deities like Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, Durga, Venkateshwara, Ganesha, Murugan, Saraswati, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Kali, etc.; besides being equipped with ghanta (big metallic bell hanging from the ceiling), dholak (two-headed hand-drum), Shiva-linga, etc.

Zed urged UMD President Darryll J. Pines to seriously look into this issue of unfair treatment. An esteemed institution like UMD, which claims to be committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, should not be in the business of discriminating among various religions and belittling entire communities, Zed noted.

UMD, whose “goal” is “lead the nation in living a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all we do”, should be more receptive to the needs of its diverse student body and staff, Rajan Zed indicated.

Zed further said that Hinduism was the oldest and third-largest religion of the world, with about 1.2 billion adherents and rich philosophical thought, and it should not be taken frivolously. All faiths, larger or smaller, should be duly respected.

UMD needed to recognise the intersection of spirituality and education, which is important in Hinduism, Rajan Zed added.

Founded in 1856, UMD boasts two Nobel laureates, offers over 300 degree programs and has over 41,000 students.

Moksh (liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism, and there are about 3.5 million Hindus in the USA.