The Milford City Council, for the first time since its incorporation in 1807, will start its day Monday, Feb. 8, with Hindu prayers containing verses from the world’s oldest extant scriptures.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver the invocation from ancient Sanskrit scriptures remotely before the council meeting. He will then read the English interpretation of the prayers, saying, “Lead us from the unreal to the real; lead us from darkness to light, and lead us from death to immortality.” He will urge council members and all those present to keep the welfare of others always in mind.

Hinduism, the oldest and third-largest religion of the world, has about 1.2 billion adherents, and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about 3 million Hindus in the U.S.