New York: Hindus are urging for a permanent and dedicated Prayer Room at Brown University, a prestigious Ivy League and research institution in Providence, Rhode Island.
Brown already has designated Catholic, Muslim and Jewish spaces.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada said that Brown should respond to the requirements of Hindu students to provide a designated prayer-meditation hall for rituals, quiet reflection, festivals and spiritual exercise; which would help in their personal growth.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that Hindu Prayer Room would be a step in the positive direction in view of the presence of a substantial number of Hindu students at Brown; as it was important to meet the spiritual needs of these students. Some other universities/colleges in the USA now offer Hindu prayer rooms.
Rajan Zed suggested that the Hindu Prayer Room preferably should have a shrine containing murtis of popular Hindu deities like Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, Durga, Venkateshwara, Ganesha, Murugan, Saraswati, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Kali, etc.; besides being equipped with ghanta, dholak, Shiva-linga, etc.
Zed urged Brown President Christina H. Paxson and Chancellor Brian T. Moynihan to seriously look into this issue of unfair treatment and disparity. An esteemed institution like Brown, which boasts of “deep sense of purpose” and “make a positive difference”, should not be in the business of discriminating among various religions and belittling entire communities; Zed noted.
