Hindus are urging for a permanent and dedicated “Hindu Prayer Room” in all the major universities of Finland.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that all major universities of Finland 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.

In Finland, Aalto University, University of Turku, and University of Oulu reportedly have chapels on their campuses. There is reportedly a regular presence of Lutheran chaplains in major Finnish universities who serve the campus communities as spiritual caregivers. Services of these chaplains reportedly include: administering ecclesiastical ordinances, baptisms, blessings, pastoral support, prayer, religious/spiritual guidance, weddings, etc.

There are reportedly no Hindu temples in the cities of Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Tampere, Turku, and Vaasa, which are home to university campuses, while there are multiple churches in these cities.

Zed, who is President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that “Hindu Prayer Room” on university campuses would be a step in the positive direction in view of the reported presence of Hindu students at major Finnish Universities, as it was important to meet the spiritual needs of these students. Many 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 Finnish Minister of Education and Culture Anders Adlercreutz and rectors of major Finnish universities to seriously look into this issue and be more receptive to the needs of their diverse student bodies.

Major Finnish Universities needed to recognise the intersection of spirituality and education, which was important in Hinduism, Rajan Zed added.

Hinduism, the oldest and third-largest religion of the world, has about 1.3 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought, and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

Top universities of Finland include: University of Helsinki, Aalto University, University of Turku, University of Oulu, Tampere University, LUT University, etc.

Details of the picture: St. Luke's Chapel, which is located on the campus of the University of Oulu in Finland.