US Hotels to get Bhagavad-gitas

NEW YORK: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will try to place copies of Bhagavad-gita in hotels and motels owned by Indian-Americans and in libraries in the US.

The governing council of VHP’s America unit passed a resolution to this effect at a recent meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“To begin with, Gita copies will be placed in temple libraries. We will also explore the possibility of placing copies in rooms in hotels and motels owned by Indian Americans,” Vijay Narang, the unit’s media director, said.

Explaining the move, he said: “With India’s rise as an economic power, people are interested in knowing more about the country.

“Hinduism with its message of universal brotherhood and tolerance as in Vasudhaiv kutumbakam (The entire cosmos is interconnected and interdependent) and Ekam sat viprah bahudah vadanti (Truth is one, sages speak of it variously) is relevant to the times. And Gita is the highly regarded scripture of Hindu dharma.

“In a hotel room where one has more leisure time, one can get inspiration and insights from browsing through a copy of the Gita.”

But the VHP is yet to choose a specific Gita translation or commentary for placement, Narang said.

VHP’s America unit also goes by the name World Hindu Council of America and is headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey.

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