On Thursday, July 12 the first Hindu prayer was prayed to commence Senate activity. Rajan Zed, the first Hindu to offer Senate prayer, began: “We meditate on the transcendental glory of the Deity Supreme, who is inside the heart of the Earth, inside the life of the sky and inside the soul of the heaven. May He stimulate and illuminate our minds.”
Rajan was invited by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who commented: “I think it speaks well of our country that someone representing the faith of about a billion people comes here and can speak in communication with our heavenly Father regarding peace.”