Hindu prayers opened the Legislature of the United States (US) Virgin Islands meeting in the capital Charlotte Amalie on October 30, reportedly for the first time since its creation in 1954, containing verses from the world’s oldest extant scripture.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed delivered the invocation from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the Legislature of the US Virgin Islands (USVI). After the Sanskrit delivery, he then read the English interpretation of the prayers. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and the root language of Indo-European languages.

Zed received a warm welcome at the Senate, where many senators and other officials shook hands with him or hugged him and had a conversation with him. Senate President Milton E. Potter introduced Zed.

Rajan Zed, who is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, recited from the Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use; besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He started and ended the prayer with “Om”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.

Reciting from the Brahadaranyakopanishad, Zed said “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya”; which he then interpreted as “Lead us from the unreal to the real, Lead us from darkness to light, and Lead us from death to immortality.” Reciting from the Bhagavad-Gita, he urged the senators and others present to keep the welfare of others always in mind.

Rajan Zed, a global Hindu and interfaith leader, has been bestowed with the World Interfaith Leader Award. Zed is on the Advisory Board of The Interfaith Peace Project, Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, etc. He has been a panellist for “On Faith”, a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post, and has led a weekly interfaith panel “, Faith Forum”, in a Gannett publication for over 14 years.

Hinduism, the oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about 3.2 million Hindus in the USA.

There are about 350 Hindus in the USVI who have made a lot of contributions to various causes in the USVI over the years. India Association of the Virgin Islands, formed in 1976, runs a cultural centre in Charlotte Amalie. Jeweller Pash Daswani is the Association President. The Annual Diwali Ball was recently celebrated at the USVI.

Legislature of the USVI, referred to as the Senate, is a unicameral body composed of a single house with 15 senators, which meets in the Capitol Building on the island of St. Thomas. Albert Bryan Jr. is the Governor.

USVI, an unincorporated US Territory, consists of three main islands— St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. It is known for world-class, stunning white-sand beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters.