India, Indonesia share rich heritage
Bali/New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India and Indonesia share a rich heritage and have maintained cordial ties through good and bad times. Speaking to the Indian community in Bali, Modi said the two nations have helped each other "preserve the wondrous cultures of their lands".
"Bali is a pristine land where great saints like Maharshi Markandey and Maharshi Agastaya thrived," said the PM, who is in Indonesia to attend the 17th G20 summit.
"If India has the Himalayas, Indonesia has Mount Agung. If India has Ganga, Indonesia has Tirtha Ganga - we are united through cultures and traditions," he said.
The PM also spoke about the Baliyatra Mahotsav being celebrated in Odisha. "As I speak to you in Bali and we sing songs of Indonesian traditions, around 1500 km away in India's Cuttack, Baliyatra Mahotsav is going on. This Mahotsav celebrates thousands of years old India-Indonesia trade relations," Modi said, adding: "When people of Indonesia see photos of this year's Baliyatra on the Internet, they will be proud and happy. After several years, Baliyatra Mahotsav is being celebrated on a grand scale with mass participation in Odisha."
Modi also talked about the shared religious beliefs of the two nations. "In Indonesia, you worship Lord Vishnu and Lord Rama. We, in India, fondly treasure the tradition of Indonesia's Ramayana while laying the foundation stone for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. There are rarely any people in Indonesia who don't wish to visit Ayodhya, Dwarka," said the PM.
Modi further spoke about the contributions made by the Indian diaspora to Indonesia, "The Indian diaspora living in Bali have contributed to the growth of Indonesia across various fields such as art, engineering, agriculture and even the film industry."
"Today, engineers, charted accountants and various professionals of India are collaborating efficiently with Indonesia. Numerous Tamilians from India have been contributing immensely to enrich culture of Indonesia," said the PM.