Hindus urge Rio Olympic Games, Hindu Rooms will be properly equipped.

Welcoming the plans to have a Hindu Room at the inter-religious centre at the Rio Olympic Games 2016, Hindus are urging that it be properly equipped.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, thanked Rio Olympic Games for recognizing the intersection of spirituality and sports, saying that it was step in the positive direction. It was highly important to meet the spiritual needs of participating athletes, Zed added.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, suggested International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and Rio 2016 Organizing Committee President Carlos Arthur Nuzman that the Hindu Room preferably should have a shrine containing murtis (statues) of popular Hindu deities like Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, Durga, Venkateshwara, Ganesha, Murugan, Saraswati, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Kali, etc.; besides being equipped with ghanta (big metallic bell hanging from the ceiling), dholak (two-headed hand-drum), Shiva-linga, etc.

We would prefer that arti be held every morning and evening in this Hindu Room during the games, Rajan Zed indicated.
According to reports, the inter-religious centre at the Olympic Village (which will host over 17,000 athletes and officials) will have a room for each of the following religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism.

Rio Olympic Games 2016, from August five to 21 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), will see 206 countries participating in 42 sports disciplines, reports add