Indonesia is the country with largest Muslim population in the world. It has approximately 280 million population with 88% Muslims. Hindu population of Indonesia is just 3%. The country has recently gifted to USA an imposing 16-foot-high statue of Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of education and wisdom. The plan was to install such a big statue of Hindu Goddess just outside the Embassy of Indonesia in Washington, DC.

Now, at present the statue of Goddess Saraswati stands proudly on top of a lotus flower, just a block away from the Indian Embassy in front of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi which was installed several years ago. It’s obvious that both the Government agreed for the display the statue at such a prime location, which is a symbol of Hindu culture.

In the statue, Goddess Saraswati is depicted to be having four hands, one holds an “Aksamala” (prayer beads) symbolizing the eternal process of learning, hand two plays a “Vina”(astring instrument) symbolizing art and culture, and the third one holds a “lontar”(manuscript) symbolizing the source of knowledge. The last and fourth hand is in blessing position.

The distance of installation of Maa Saraswati is just a mile away from the Whitehouse. The statue has become an attraction among the city residents and the large number of tourists who visit the city every day.

Maa Saraswati is one of the Goddesses in Hinduism and Hinduism is the primarily practiced religion among the people of Bali, one of the largest island of the Archepelegio country Indonesia, which itself is the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country.

Though Indonesia is a Muslim majority country but both Muslims and Hindus of Indonesia find themselves attached with Hindu and Indian culture. Even the name of Indonesia is a mixture of India and Asia.

Most of the Asian countries like Republic of Balochistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia even Iraq, Iran etc. have their basic culture as Hinduism . This reflects in their excavation when they find Hindu Gods and Goddesses buried under their soil. The old temples in these countries do talk a lot about their ancestral culture. People of these countries do believe that they are the sons and daughters of Hindu forefathers but political reasons stop the poiticians of these countries to accept the bare fact.

But now, even the politicians of Asian countries have started talking about their Hindu roots. Recently Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto shared his genome test and showed that he has Hindu and Indian DNA. He made these remarks during a state visit to India alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The recent statement given by defence Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif, “Our ancestors were Hindus” is one more evidence in this line.

Recently politicians of Iran also showed a picture of their God which looks like Hindu God to show that Iran has a 5000 years old culture.

Leaders of Republic of Balochistan openly states that they are the part of Hindu Culture.

So the people of Indian subcontinent can’t remain in oblivion for long.

Author is a teacher in New Delhi, India.

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