Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, has gifted an imposing 16-foot-high statue of Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Education and Wisdom, to Washington DC.
The Statue, on top of a Lotus, stands tall in front of Mahatma Gandhi, a block away from the Indian Embassy.
About 1.6 kms from the White House, the statue is yet to be formally inaugurated, but has already become an attraction for city residents and large number of tourists who visit the city every day.
Hindus constitute just 3% of Indonesian population.
“Devi Saraswati is one of the Goddesses in Hinduism, the primarily practiced religion among the people of Bali, the smallest province in Indonesia. Her representation at the Indonesian Embassy was not decided out of any religious grounds, but more on its symbolised values that parallel with several key principles of Indonesia-U.S. relations under comprehensive partnership, in particular education and people-to-people contact,” an Embassy spokesperson said.
The construction of the Statue began April last year, and was built by five native Balinese sculptors led by I Nyoman Sudarwa, who wrapped up the job in five weeks.
