On February 1, 2003, the world experienced a great tragedy. Our entire nation, and people throughout the world, were in grief over the loss of our astronauts.

The Indian community worldwide was also in grief and wished to express its feelings of sorrow and pray for Kalpana's soul to rest in peace. The Indian community is very proud of the achievements of Dr. Kalpana Chawla who offered her life in the service of all humankind.

The moment Dr. Piyush C. Agrawal, National President of the Association of Indians in America and Dr. Durga Agrawal, founder of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Houston, found out that there was a plan to have a Memorial Service at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to be held on February 4, 2003, both immediately contacted The White House for the Hindu prayers to be included in the services.

At the request of Dr Piyush Agrawal, Anant Rambachan, Professor of Religion at Saint Olaf College in Minnesota, was invited by the White House to share words of hope and consolation from the Hindu tradition. Dr. Durga Agrawal requested Dr. Sen Pathak, a well-known scientist and Hindu Scholar, to be available also for the services.

Prof Rambachan prepared the text for the services from the Bhagavad-Gita and submitted to the White House for their concurrence.

The cooperation of The White House in this matter should make all of us proud. The staff at The White House was extremely cooperative.

Hours before the ceremony, however, Professor Rambachan was informed that a Hindu participation was no longer required. We are all saddened by this outcome, but wish to share the message that Prof. Rambachan planned to deliver at the Memorial Service for Columbia Astronauts in Houston on 4 February, 2002.

"Across the boundaries of our religious traditions and nationalities, Jewish, Christian and Hindu, Americans and Israelis, we stand today as one human family united in grief and sorrow, joined in our loss and mourning.

Across the boundaries of our religious traditions and nationalities, we are united also in our feelings of reverence, gratitude and humility as we contemplate the heroic courage and energy that inspired our astronauts to undertake risk-filled journeys afar in pursuit of truths for our common human enrichment and well being. Each in her and his way embodied the finest gifts of humanity in discipline, dedication and commitment to excellence. Each life is and will be an inspiration to countless others.

Today most meaningfully, we stand together in our faith in God, the God of us all, from whom we are never separate in life or death and who unites us life jewels on a string. In God there are no limits of space or time and we are always one with those whom we love.

In the midst of our grief, we find hope in our faith's assurance that death is not the end of existence and that the indestructible human spirit of our Columbia astronauts remains untouched by death.

I recall and share with you today words from the Bhagavad-Gita, celebrating this deathless human spirit, words that, for centuries, have blessed the sorrowing human heart with healing and peace:

It is not born,
It does not die;
Having been,
It never ceases to be;
Unborn, enduring, and constant,
It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed

Weapons do not cut it,
Fire does not burn it,
Waters do not wet it,
Wind does not cause it to wither.

It is said to be inconceivable, invisible and unchanging;
In this understanding we find solace in grief.

Anant Rambachan