<p>Rakesh Bhatt, a Hindu priest at the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Maryland opened the third day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Wednesday (Aug 21) with a prayer as chants of 'Om shanti Om' reverberated across the&nbsp;United Center.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bhatt was invited to the stage following the striking of the gavel and delivered the prayers before the delegates in Sanskrit and later explained their significance in English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bhatt also invoked the concept of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" which translates to "the whole world is one family" and&nbsp;urged Maerica to choose a leader who believes in the Vedic concept.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We should be in unison. Let our minds think together. Let our hearts beat as one. All for the betterment of society. May this make us powerful so we can unite and make our nation proud," said Bhatt in his speech.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We are one universal family. Truth is our foundation and always prevails. Lead us from unreal to real, from darkness to the light, and from death to immortality. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti," he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rakesh Bhatt, A Hindu priest with Sri Shiva Vishnu Temple, delivers invocation in Sanskrit &amp; English at the start of Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago.<br />
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“Even if we have differences we have to be united &amp; it moves us towards justice for all.We are1universal family. <a href="https://t.co/sulYxxJ5qu">pic.twitter.com/sulYxxJ5qu</a></p>
— Anubhav Saxena (@anubhav_shah) <a href="https://twitter.com/anubhav_shah/status/1826456992246104346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Democratic National Convention showcases a Hindu Prayer on stage for the first time ever from Sri Rakesh Bhatt of Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Maryland <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DNC2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DNC2024</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Election2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Election2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/cpavw8jwB2">pic.twitter.com/cpavw8jwB2</a></p>
— Diya TV (@DiyaTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiyaTV/status/1826406036133347750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-elections-2024-is-tim-walz-chinas-man-in-america-gravitas-748160" target="_blank"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;US Elections 2024: Is Tim Walz China’s man in America? | Gravitas</strong></a></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-elections-2024-is-tim-walz-chinas-man-in-america-gravitas-748160/embed" width="560"></iframe></p>

<h2><strong>Who is Rakesh Bhatt?</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Bhatt who is fluent in Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Tulu, hails from the&nbsp;Madhwa priest family. He has a strong foundation in religious studies and rituals after training under&nbsp;his guru, Pejavar Swamiji of Udupi Ashta Matha.</p>

<p>He is believed to be proficient in&nbsp;Rig Veda and Tantrasaara (Maadhva) Agama and has&nbsp; bachelor's degree in English and Kannada from Osteen College. He&nbsp;worked briefly at Badrinath and Raghavendra Swami Koil, Salem, before joining Sri Sri Vishnu Temple in July 2013. Bhatt moved to the US from the southern Indian city of Bengaluru.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tim-walz-officially-accepts-nomination-as-vp-at-democratic-national-convention-752106"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Tim Walz officially accepts nomination as VP at Democratic National Convention</strong></a></p>

<p>Notably, during the Republican National Convention (RNC) last month,&nbsp;Sikh leader Harmeet Dhillon had also delivered a prayer. However, a section of hardcore MAGA supporters slammed her for invoking a god other than Jesus Christ.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Rakesh Bhatt, a Hindu priest at the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Maryland opened the third day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Wednesday (Aug 21) with a prayer as chants of 'Om shanti Om' reverberated across the United Center.

Rakesh Bhatt, a Hindu priest at the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Maryland opened the third day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Wednesday (Aug 21) with a prayer as chants of 'Om shanti Om' reverberated across the United Center. Bhatt was invited to the stage following the striking of the gavel and delivered the prayers before the delegates in Sanskrit and later explained their significance in English. Bhatt also invoked the concept of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" which translates to "the whole world is one family" and urged Maerica to choose a leader who believes in the Vedic concept. "We should be in unison. Let our minds think together. Let our hearts beat as one. All for the betterment of society. May this make us powerful so we can unite and make our nation proud," said Bhatt in his speech. "We are one universal family. Truth is our foundation and always prevails. Lead us from unreal to real, from darkness to the light, and from death to immortality. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti," he added. Rakesh Bhatt, A Hindu priest with Sri Shiva Vishnu Temple, delivers invocation in Sanskrit & English at the start of Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. “Even if we have differences we have to be united & it moves us towards justice for all.We are1universal family. pic.twitter.com/sulYxxJ5qu — Anubhav Saxena (@anubhav_shah) August 22, 2024 × Democratic National Convention showcases a Hindu Prayer on stage for the first time ever from Sri Rakesh Bhatt of Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Maryland #DNC2024 #Election2024 pic.twitter.com/cpavw8jwB2 — Diya TV (@DiyaTV) August 21, 2024 × Watch | US Elections 2024: Is Tim Walz China’s man in America? | Gravitas Who is Rakesh Bhatt? Bhatt who is fluent in Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Tulu, hails from the Madhwa priest family. He has a strong foundation in religious studies and rituals after training under his guru, Pejavar Swamiji of Udupi Ashta Matha. He is believed to be proficient in Rig Veda and Tantrasaara (Maadhva) Agama and has bachelor's degree in English and Kannada from Osteen College. He worked briefly at Badrinath and Raghavendra Swami Koil, Salem, before joining Sri Sri Vishnu Temple in July 2013. Bhatt moved to the US from the southern Indian city of Bengaluru. Also read | Tim Walz officially accepts nomination as VP at Democratic National Convention Notably, during the Republican National Convention (RNC) last month, Sikh leader Harmeet Dhillon had also delivered a prayer. However, a section of hardcore MAGA supporters slammed her for invoking a god other than Jesus Christ. (With inputs from agencies)

Who is Rakesh Bhatt? Hindu priest who started DNC Day 3 in Chicago with Vedic prayers

<p>Kamala Harris's campaign has raised a whopping $200 million after she emerged as the frontrunner for the Democrat presidential nominee last week. The donations have skyrocketed after President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid and endorsed Harris as the presidential candidate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As of Sunday (Jul 28), the bulk of donations (66 per cent) came from first-time contributors in the 2024 election cycle.&nbsp;Additionally, over 170,000 volunteers have also signed up to help the Harris campaign which has only 100 days to take on rival, Donald Trump.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Saturday (Jul 27), Haris campaigned in Pittsfield, Massachusettes where the fundraiser managed to raise approximately $1,4 million, shattering the earlier estimates of $400,000 by a countrymile.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The momentum and energy for Vice President Harris is real — and so are the fundamentals of this race: this election will be very close and decided by a small number of voters in just a few states,” wrote Michael Tyler, Harris's campaign communications director.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While most Republicans had predicted Harris to be a weak candidate in front of Trump, her popularity in recent days has given a major scare to the GOP lawmakers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump has also resorted to making personal jibes against the vice president, suggesting that the former president knew about the increasing threat.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>“She was a bum three weeks ago.&nbsp;She was a bum, a failed vice president," said Trump on Friday (Jul 26).&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-fbis-one-line-statement-on-trumps-ear-wound-744752" target="_blank"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;US: FBI's one-line statement on Trump's ear wound</strong></a></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-fbis-one-line-statement-on-trumps-ear-wound-744752/embed" width="560"></iframe></p>

<h2><strong>Tide changing?</strong></h2>

<p>Trump also urged the Christian voters to come out and vote for him in large numbers, adding&nbsp;they wouldn't have to do it again as he would 'fix' the system after coming to power.</p>

<p>“Christians, get out and vote. Just this time.&nbsp;You won’t have to do it anymore, you know what? Four more years, it’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians," said the Republican presidential nominee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I love you, Christians. I’m a Christian. I love you, you got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not going to have to vote," he added.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/breaking-records-democrats-raise-nearly-50-million-after-biden-drops-out-and-endorses-kamala-harris-743107"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Breaking records: Democrats raise nearly $50 million after Joe Biden drops out and endorses Kamala Harris</strong></a></p>

<p>Trump's pleading with his core voter base to come out in numbers might stem from the recent poll numbers that suggest&nbsp;Harris had reduced the deficit against him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The latest&nbsp;<em>Wall Street Journal&nbsp;</em>poll showed Harris and Trump neck-and-neck at 49 per cent and 47 per cent in the two-way presidential battle. At the beginning&nbsp;of the month, Trump had a six-point lead against Joe&nbsp;Biden before the US president dropped his re-election bid and endorsed Harris.</p>

<p><em>(More to follow)</em></p>


Kamala Harris's campaign has raised a whopping $200 million after she emerged as the frontrunner for the Democrat presidential nominee last week. The donations have skyrocketed after President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid and endorsed Harris as the presidential candidate.

Kamala Harris's campaign has raised a whopping $200 million after she emerged as the frontrunner for the Democrat presidential nominee last week. The donations have skyrocketed after President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid and endorsed Harris as the presidential candidate. As of Sunday (Jul 28), the bulk of donations (66 per cent) came from first-time contributors in the 2024 election cycle. Additionally, over 170,000 volunteers have also signed up to help the Harris campaign which has only 100 days to take on rival, Donald Trump. On Saturday (Jul 27), Haris campaigned in Pittsfield, Massachusettes where the fundraiser managed to raise approximately $1,4 million, shattering the earlier estimates of $400,000 by a countrymile. “The momentum and energy for Vice President Harris is real — and so are the fundamentals of this race: this election will be very close and decided by a small number of voters in just a few states,” wrote Michael Tyler, Harris's campaign communications director. While most Republicans had predicted Harris to be a weak candidate in front of Trump, her popularity in recent days has given a major scare to the GOP lawmakers. Trump has also resorted to making personal jibes against the vice president, suggesting that the former president knew about the increasing threat. “She was a bum three weeks ago. She was a bum, a failed vice president," said Trump on Friday (Jul 26). Watch | US: FBI's one-line statement on Trump's ear wound Tide changing? Trump also urged the Christian voters to come out and vote for him in large numbers, adding they wouldn't have to do it again as he would 'fix' the system after coming to power. “Christians, get out and vote. Just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore, you know what? Four more years, it’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians," said the Republican presidential nominee. "I love you, Christians. I’m a Christian. I love you, you got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not going to have to vote," he added. Also read | Breaking records: Democrats raise nearly $50 million after Joe Biden drops out and endorses Kamala Harris Trump's pleading with his core voter base to come out in numbers might stem from the recent poll numbers that suggest Harris had reduced the deficit against him. The latest Wall Street Journal poll showed Harris and Trump neck-and-neck at 49 per cent and 47 per cent in the two-way presidential battle. At the beginning of the month, Trump had a six-point lead against Joe Biden before the US president dropped his re-election bid and endorsed Harris. (More to follow)

Kamala Harris raised $200 million in first week of presidential campaign

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have assured India of providing all assistance, including life-saving medical supplies and equipment, to help the country combat the deadly COVID-19 crisis.

US assures help to COVID-hit India after facing backlash

Biden, Harris offer India support  in fight against COVID-19 amid criticism

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Who is Rakesh Bhatt? Hindu priest who started DNC Day 3 in Chicago with Vedic prayers

Kamala Harris raised $200 million in first week of presidential campaign

US assures help to COVID-hit India after facing backlash

Biden, Harris offer India support in fight against COVID-19 amid criticism