In one of the rare events in the annals of the United States Congress, senators and congressmen gathered at a special reception at the US Capitol in Washington DC on Wednesday to honour the late Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Harbhajan Singh, also known as Yogi Bhajan.
The special reception also commemorated last month's unanimous passage of a bipartisan congressional resolution honouring the life and influence of the spiritual leader who spent his life teaching and improving the lives of thousands of people across the world.
In the history of the US Congress, only a handful of spiritual leaders have inspired a joint resolution honouring their work.
They include Martin Luther King Jr, Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa.
The congressional resolution on Yogi Bhajan says the US Congress recognises that the teachings of Yogi Bhajan about Sikhism, yoga and the business formed under his inspiration has improved the personal, political, spiritual and professional relations between the citizens of US and India.
The resolution also noted, "Yogi Bhajan was a wise teacher and mentor, an outstanding pioneer, a champion of peace and a compassionate human being."
Among those who attended the reception on Wedesday, included Senator Jeff Bingaman (New Mexico), Representative Tom Udall (New Mexico), Representative Joe Wilson (South Carolina), Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas) and former US secretaries of interior Manuel Lujan and Stewart Udall.
