Rudram 11 at The Open Mosque: A Historic Moment of Unity in Cape Town

In March 2025 history was made in Cape Town. For the first time ever, the ancient and powerful Sri Rudram was recited 11 times inside the Open Mosque, as part of an interfaith Rudram 11 event. This extraordinary event was more than just an ordinary Rudram 11—it was a symbol of oneness, a bridge between traditions, and a celebration of the divine essence that transcends name, form, and creed. A feeling of love and unity was experienced amongst all who attended. Around 80 people gathered from various faiths , races and cultures. The programme included :

🐚 Chanting the Sri Rudram 11 times

☪️ Recitation of the 99 names of Allah

🕋 Prayers by the Imam of the mosque

🎼 Sarva Dharma / Multifaith songs and bhajans

🍯 Narrations on the essence of the Vedas

🎤 Talks on the spirit of oneness

🍲 Vegetarian dinner where we could break bread together 🥖

“Everything is there in the Vedas. The essence of all the religions like Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity is there in the Vedas. We should never say that the Veda is only for Hindus. Veda is for all." Sri Sathya Sai Baba – 6/05/2008

Group Picture of Attendees

Beautiful parallels can be made between the 99 Names of Allah and the Sri Rudram

Sri Rudram (Sanskrit)	Meaning	Asma’ul Husna (Arabic)	Meaning
Namah Shivaya	Salutations to the Auspicious	As-Salaam	The Source of Peace
Namah Bhavaya	To the Source of Beings	Al-Khaliq	The Creator
Namah Pasupataye	To the Lord of all beings	Al-Malik	The Sovereign Lord
Namah Sharvaya	To the Destroyer of Evil	Al-Qahhar	The Subduer, The Vanquisher
Namah Ugraya	To the Terrible One (justice)	Al-Adl	The Just

Both understand that God has infinite attributes, expressed through sacred names, and that these names guide worshippers to know and love God more deeply.

Interfaith Talks

Sri Rudram is not just for Hindus. It is a universal chant—a call for peace, unity, and harmony for all beings. The Open mosque, transformed into a shared sanctuary where the sacred syllables of Sanskrit echoed in reverence, coexisting beautifully with the timeless Islamic call to unity and peace. A message shared by Dr Taj, founder and president of the Open Mosque highlights this,"Undoubtedly, there was an amazing energy and deep vibration that transcended the usual boundaries and divisions. It brought everyone present closer together in a true spirit of love, friendship and harmony. Once again, my heartfelt thanks for bringing the virtues and values of the Vedas to the Open Mosque."

The symbol of Islam represented by the crescent moon and star is to recognise the greatness of God which is Akbar. When the mind (the moon) is the lowest in its expression, then the greatness of the God shines forth like the star in its center. The mind then celebrates the glory. Rudram is all about purity of the body, mind, and the senses which leads to unity with the creation. Both the individual along with entire creation extol the glory of the divinity as - “La ilaha ill Allah” is “There is no god except Allah.” This is the true recognition of non-duality. There is only ONE!!! Ekam Sath!!!!

ASR Prayers

In a world often defined by boundaries—religious, cultural, ideological—this event stood as a radiant reminder that the essence of all true faith is love, unity, and the quest for the Divine.

We thank everyone who attended and offer a very special thank you to the Open Mosque for opening their doors to Vedas4All to allow for this interfaith, spiritual connection. We look forward to making this an annual event!

Join Us Next Time

We welcome all devotees to join us for the next Rudram 11 happening in Cape Town on April 5 2025. This will be taking place at the Buddhist Temple (Cape Town Meditation centre). The veda chanting will be followed by a guided meditation facilitated by the Monks of the temple. We look forward to seeing you there