The historic city of Hyderabad in the centre of India also a centre for the multi-faith event
By Sapan News Desk
BOSTON: Dozens of organisations and individuals around the world joined a Virtual Global Vigil for Peace last Sunday #be4peace “to envision/pray for an end to the violence at home and elsewhere, for a ceasefire in Gaza and in Ukraine, and for hostages and child prisoners to be freed.”
The non-performative, multifaith, worldwide event involved individuals and groups meditating or praying for peace or simply going into a reflective silence for 10 to 15 minutes at whatever place they were between 10 a.m. and 12 noon of their local time.
The countries where vigils took place included Australia, Bangladesh, Croatia, France, India, Israel, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, UAE, USA, and UK, say the organisers, Southasia Peace Action Network, a cross-regional, cross-diasporic peace alliance, and the nonprofit Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA) based in Hyderabad, India.
A list of the nearly 50 participating organisations worldwide and dozens of individuals are posted on the Southasia Peace website.
Former Indian Navy chief Admiral L. Ramdas and his life partner, the well-known activist Lalita Ramdas, participated from their current base in Secunderabad, a twin city of Hyderabad in the heart of India.
“We did our ten minutes of meditation for peace on Sunday, November 12th, Diwali, from 11.30 to 11.40 am,” Lalita Ramdas told Sapan News. She said she explained to two caregivers – one a Christian and one a Muslim – “about the need for this joint silent prayer, how many people were joining from across the world, and the power of such collective efforts to build a world of peace and love.”
“They were happy to join and said it was a lovely feeling of calm that they experienced,” she added.
The historic city of Hyderabad participated in the Global Vigil at two separate events.
One was Remembrance Day, commemorated to honour soldiers of Hyderabad Lancers and other Commonwealth nations who lost their lives during World War I. Some 40 participants joined in a guided meditation and prayers of different faiths at the event, organised by the British Deputy High Commission in Hyderabad. They included diplomats, bureaucrats, faith leaders, professionals, academics, activists, and journalists.
The second venue for the Global Virtual Vigil in Hyderabad was at Anuraga Nilayam, a home for elders, where some 40 residents, along with 35 guests, including children and women, also joined in the Global Virtual Vigil.
Representing the Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Parsi faiths, residents also participated in multifaith celebrations for Diwali, Mahavir Nirvana Jains and Gurpurab Gurta Gaddi Sri Guru Granth Saheb Ji with prayers of different faiths, bhajans (devotional songs) and firecrackers.
Participants spoke about why different festivals are celebrated that promote core human values. The program concluded with multifaith culinary offerings, as is fitting in a city famous for its cuisine.
Lead photo: Hyderabad: Lighting a Lamp for Peace, M. Ashfaq Hussain, COVA
*Southasia: Borrowing from Himal Southasian, Sapan uses ‘Southasia’ as one word, “seeking to restore some of the historical unity of our common living space, without wishing any violence on the existing nation-states.”
This Sapan News syndicated feature is available for republication with due credit.