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'Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all'

Rediff Team

O God

You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent, and Omniscient. You are in everything and nothing is beyond you. You are our Mother and Father and we are all your children. Whatever you do is for our good. You are the ocean of mercy and you forgive our errors. You are our teacher and you guide us onto righteousness.

Today, in this great hall, are assembled the elected representatives of the people of this Nation. They are ready to perform their duties. God, please guide them in their thoughts and actions so they can achieve the greatest good for all.

We end this invocation with a prayer from the ancient scriptures of India:

May all be happy

May all be free from disease

May all realise what is good

May none be subject to misery

Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

So prayed Venkatachalpathi Salmuldrala, the first Hindu priest ever to give the opening prayer in the US Congress on Thursday morning. The Hindu clergyman from the Shiva Vishnu Hindu Temple in Parma, Ohio, gave his invocation before Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee addressed the joint session of the US Congress.

"Today is a great day for Indian-American relations. India and the United States share the bonds of history and culture. I requested the House Chaplain to invite Mr Samuldrala to give today's prayer as a testimony to the religious diversity that is the hallmark of our nation. Mr Salmuldrala's prayer reminds us that while we may differ in culture and traditions, we are alike in the basic aspiration for peace and righteousness," Sherrod Brown, the Congressman from Ohio, said.

Brown welcomed Salmuldrala before Vajpayee's speech. In June, Brown had urged House Speaker Dennis Hastert to invite Vajpayee to speak before Congress. The Democratic Congressman escorted Vajpayee to the House floor.

"Our two great nations share a commitment to both the ideals and the practice of democracy. The close ties between the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest are invaluable to encourage free and fair elections throughout the world," Brown said.

"The prime minister has a strong message about the future of India and Asia. In this world of global trade and communication, nothing could be more important than listening to the leader of the world's largest democracy. His presence in Congress is a great step in US-Indian relations," he said.

rediff.com has assigned Associate Editors Amberish K Diwanji and Savera R Someshwar to cover Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to the United States. Don't forget to log into rediff.com for news of this historic visit as it happens!

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The Vajpayee Visit: The full coverage

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