Washington (USA), June 26, 2013: The California State Senate has passed a resolution to declare October as the Hindu Awareness and Appreciation Month this year to acknowledge the contribution made by Hindu Americans. 

The Senate Majority Leader, Ellen Corbett who is widely recognized for her support of the Hindu American community has worked closely with the Washington-based Hindu American Foundation (HAF) in drafting the language of the resolution. 

"As the Senator representing the 10th State Senate District, I am honored to represent constituents from many diverse backgrounds, including a significant number of Hindu Americans," Corbett said in a statement. 

"California is home to a thriving community of over 370,000 Hindu Americans that enrich our state's diversity and professional assets in fields as diverse as academia, science, technology, business, arts and literature," she said. 

Noting that Swami Vivekananda is credited with officially introducing Hinduism to the United States in 1893 at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, the resolution passed on Monday said that there are now over 50 Hindu temples throughout California while the San Francisco Bay Area is home to over 20 of them. 

The resolution has received the support of 55 non-governmental organizations, interfaith leaders, civil rights activists, and community leaders from across the US, who previously wrote to all State Senators urging them to pass it.

Stating that Hindu Americans have helped promote the shared American ideals of tolerance, pluralism, and religious freedom, the Senate resolved to declare October 2013 as California Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month. 

In a statement, the Hindu American Foundation said it plans to commemorate California Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month with several events throughout the state. 

Source: Zee News, DT. June 26, 2013.