RANCHO CORDOVA City Council in California would reportedly have its first Hindu opening prayer on July 2, containing verses from world’s oldest existing scripture.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver the opening prayer from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the City Council. After Sanskrit delivery, he will read the English translation of the prayer. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.
Zed, who is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, will recite 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 plans to start and end the prayer with “Om”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.
Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Zed plans to say “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya”, which he will then translate as “Lead me from the unreal to the Real, Lead me from darkness to Light, and Lead me from death to Immortality.” Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he proposes to urge council members to keep the welfare of others always in mind.
Zed is a global Hindu and interfaith leader, who besides taking up the cause of religion worldwide, has also raised huge voice against the apartheid faced by about 15-million Roma (Gypsies) in Europe. Bestowed with World Interfaith Leader Award; Zed is Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, Spiritual Advisor to National Association of Interchurch & Interfaith Families, etc. 
Tagline of All-America City Award winner female-majority City of Rancho Cordova is “City Life. Reinvented” and one of its goals is “Empower responsible citizenship”. It is home to historic Matthew Kilgore Cemetery and 46-acres Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prominent people associated with it include baseball players Geoff Jenkins and Max Venable, football player Seneca Wallace, “Real Life” comics author Greg Dean and actor Tyler Coppin. Dr. David M. Sander, Linda Budge and Ted A. Gaebler are Mayor, Vice Mayor and City Manager respectively.