Sparks City Council opens year 1st meeting with ancient Hindu Gayatri Mantra recited by Hindu religious leader Rajan Zed.

Sparks City Council in Northern Nevada, started its new year with ancient Gayatri Mantra, considered the most sacred mantra of Hinduism, and sprinkling of water drops from river Ganga, considered holy by Hindus.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed opened the January 12 meeting of Sparks City Council with an invocation which began with Gayatri Mantra in Sanskrit, which he later translated in English.  Zed sprinkled few drops of water from river Ganga of India before starting his prayer.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, recited from 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.

Councilmembers, city employees and public were seen standing in prayer mode with their heads bowed down during the invocation. Mayor Geno R. Martini introduced Zed, who was wearing saffron colored attire, a ruddraksh mala (rosary), and traditional sandalpaste tilak (religious mark) on the forehead.