Meridian council meetings usually begin with a Christian prayer. Not this one
The wood-lined walls of the Meridian City Council chambers have heard a lot: hours of testimony on proposed In-N-Outs; impassioned pleas about new subdivisions and the challenges of city growth. But no matter the agenda or level of attendance, evenings at Meridian City Hall typically start with a prayer.
Usually, a Christian prayer.
But on Tuesday night, Oct. 21, that opening moment of faith-based reflection, called a community invocation, featured Hindu speaker Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism. Zed has led invocations for the Idaho Senate and Boise City Council.
Zed’s invocation was followed later the same evening by a similar prayer before the City Council in neighboring Star.
In an email to the Idaho Statesman before the meetings, Zed called the invocations “the first time” Hindu prayers would open city meetings in those Treasure Valley cities, based on his exchanges with city officials.
He said his addresses would include ancient Sanskrit scriptures including “verses from (the) world’s oldest extant scripture,” followed by an English translation. The prayers would “urge the council members and others present to keep the welfare of others always in mind,” he said.
Zed, who lives in Nevada, has given addresses at the U.S. House and U.S. Senate and in several state legislatures, according to The Associated Press. When Zed delivered a prayer before the Idaho Senate in 2015, three Republican lawmakers walked out in protest, including Meridian Sen. Lori Den Hartog, the AP reported. Hartog is now in her sixth term in the seat.
Asked about that experience, Zed said he “felt warmly welcomed by then-Gov. Butch Otter and then-Lt. Gov. Brad Little, and many state senators,” as well as by City Councils in Burley, Arimo and St. Anthony.
Emphasizing “the importance of invocation in legislative bodies,” Zed noted, “petitioning ... God through prayer for common good helps us to grow in holiness, whichever religious perspective the prayers come from.”
Trevor Smith, a spokesperson for the city of Meridian, told the Statesman by phone that Zed reached out to the city and asked to speak at one of the invocations, which happen at each council meeting.
“As a practice, we welcome all who would like to give that invocation and spend that moment thinking about the city of Meridian before we act as a deliberative body,” said Smith.
Smith said he was unsure whether there had been a Hindu invocation before in the city, but said he was unaware of one. The city typically sends an email to different faith leaders asking for volunteers to help with the invocation, he said.
A Star city spokesperson was not immediately reachable for comment.
This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
