Pandit Rakesh Bhatt, a Hindu priest from Bengaluru, became the talk of the town when he began the third day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) held at the United Center in Chicago with a Vedic prayer. Referring to the ancient Indian philosophy that says ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ meaning ‘the world is one family’, he had the diverse audience of those who came to support the Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, on his side.
He pointed to the ideas of unity and justice and called the people to come together forgetting our differences for the betterment of the country. Despite the differences, when the question of the nation arises, we have to be one,’ he said, in essence, translating the Vedic mantra to stand together and improve society. He then proceeded to recite some verses in Sanskrit and then translated the same into English; the verses were all about peace and harmony and this could be felt as the delegates stood up in unison.
This is evident from Bhatt’s performance during the DNC, where participation of spiritual and cultural aspects in political activities has become rampant. His prayer was a memorable event that happened before the performance of the national anthem to add to the unity of all the congregation.
Born in a traditional Madhwa Brahmin family, Bhatt has a good academic background in religious education and was a disciple of Sri Pejavar Swamiji of Udupi Ashta Matha.
He has completed his Bachelor and Masters in Sanskrit, English, and Kannada from Jayachamarajendra College and Osteen College, Bengaluru. He was indeed an academic scholar and received the title of ‘Satshastra Vidwan’ from several institutions such as Mantralaya and Udupi Ashta Matha.
Before joining Sri Siva Vishnu Temple where he was appointed in July 2013, Bhatt had some practice with Udupi Ashta Matha, and he has also served in other temples temporarily. His knowledge of different languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, English, Tulu, and Sanskrit and his ability to speak all of them is a clear indication of his appreciation of different cultures and religions.
