Indonesia gifts statue of Saraswati to US

Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, has gifted an imposing 16 feet statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of education and wisdom, to the American Capital city of Washington DC. The statue of goddess Saraswati on top of a lotus flower, stand tall a block away from the Indian Embassy in front of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi which was installed several years ago. Just three per cent of Indonesian population is Hindus.

Little over a mile from the White House, the statue is yet to be formally inaugurated, but has already become an attraction of city residents and the large number of tourists who visit the city every day. "Dewi Saraswati is one of the goddesses in Hinduism, the primarily practiced religion among Balinese people in Indonesia, which itself is the world's biggest Muslim-majority country.

Yet, her representation at the Indonesian Embassy was not decided out only of any religious grounds, but more on its symbolized values that parallel with several key principles of Indonesia-US relations under comprehensive partnership, in particular education and people-to-people contact," a spokesperson of the Indonesian Embassy said.