First Hindu Member of U.S. House Will Be Sworn In On Bhagavad Gita

Yesterday's Huffington Post reports that Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu elected to the U.S. Congress, will take her oath of office in January using the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text. Gabbard, elected to represent Hawaii's 2nd Congressional district, was born in American Samoa and moved to Hawaii when she was 2 years old. Her father, a Samoan, was Catholic, while her mother was a convert to Hinduism. Gabbard follows the Vaishnava branch of Hinduism.  She served in the Hawaii state senate, and as a national guard member served in Kuwait and Iraq.  She takes the Congressional seat of Mazie Hirono, a Buddhist, who was elected to the U.S. Senate as its first Buddhist member.