NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Farmington, Utah, April 16, 2026: Rajan Zed, a Nevada-based Hindu leader, is scheduled to deliver opening prayers at two additional government meetings in Utah on May 12, bringing his total number of invocations across the state’s legislative and local bodies to 126.
Zed will offer prayers at the American Fork City Council and the Board of Davis County Commissioners in Farmington. His invocations, delivered in Sanskrit and followed by an English interpretation, draw from ancient Hindu scriptures.
Over the years, Zed has delivered opening prayers in a wide range of Utah’s legislative settings, including the Utah State Senate and House of Representatives, as well as 19 county commissions and 103 city and town councils. These include both densely populated areas such as Salt Lake County and Utah County, and smaller communities like Daggett County, as well as towns with populations of just over 100 residents.
According to the release, Zed’s prayers are typically recited from texts such as the Rig Veda, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. He begins and ends his invocation with “Om,” and includes the Gayatri Mantra, considered one of the most sacred verses in Hindu tradition. He also recites passages such as “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya,” which he translates as a call to move “from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality.”
Zed, who serves as president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, has participated in interfaith initiatives and has been associated with organizations such as the Interfaith Peace Project and the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. He has also contributed to religious dialogue forums, including On Faith, a platform produced by The Washington Post, and has led a weekly interfaith panel titled “Faith Forum” in a USA TODAY Network publication for over 15 years.
In a statement, Zed said such invocations reflect religious diversity and offer an opportunity to promote dialogue and mutual understanding. He added that prayers, regardless of tradition, can contribute to a sense of shared purpose and community.
Zed noted that his experiences delivering invocations across Utah have been positive, stating that he has felt welcomed in the various communities he has visited.
Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest religions, has an estimated 1.2 billion adherents globally, including about 3.2 million in the United States.
