Rome, July 29 A statue of Maharshi Valmiki, the revered sage who authored the epic Ramayana in Sanskrit, was unveiled at Camporotondo in Italy, by the Indian Ambassador of India to Italy, Vani Rao, and Mayor Massimiliano Micucci.
The statue has been gifted by the Indian government as part of its outreach.
Under the initiative of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) 'Connecting the world through Ramayana', the occasion witnessed participation from the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) in Italy, Amararam Gurjar, and the Indian diaspora, including the Balmiki community.
"A statue of Maharshi Valmiki, gifted by the Indian government was unveiled by Ambassador Vani Rao & Mayor Massimiliano Micucci at Camporotondo. DCM Amararam Gurjar and Indian Diaspora, including from Balmiki community participated. Maharshi Valmiki authored the Ramayana, the Indian epic in Sanskrit language. Indian Council for Cultural Relations supported the initiative under 'Connecting the world through Ramayana'," Embassy of India in Rome posted on X.
The Ramayana transcends borders and unites people worldwide, offering inspiration and moral lessons.
Celebrating one of the world's largest epics, ICCR launched the "Year of Connecting the World through Ramayana-2024".
This initiative aims to strengthen global cooperation, promote shared heritage, and encourage joint cultural productions, embodying the principle of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family).
India and Italy are ancient civilisations with rich cultural heritage.
Italian port cities were important trading posts on the ancient spice route.
The Venetian merchant Marco Polo, during his travels to the East, travelled to India in the 13th century and wrote about his experiences.
The diplomatic relations between India and Italy were established in 1947.
The two countries enjoy strong people-to-people connections propelled by a large Indian diaspora and long-standing Indological Studies tradition in Italy.
Emphasising the deep cultural ties, in 2023, an Executive Programme on Cultural Cooperation for 2023-27 was signed between India and Italy.
Earlier, an ICCR troupe, "Panihari Lok Sangeet," performed Rajasthani folk dances in four cities for the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in July 2023.
Mahatma Gandhi's bust, gifted by ICCR, was unveiled in Brindisi by the Ambassador Vani Rao, and the Mayor of Brindisi, Giuseppe Marchionna, on August 7, 2024.
Gandhi Jayanti was celebrated at many locations in Italy in October 2024.
Furthermore, Tagore Jayanti was also celebrated by the Embassy of India, while Diwali was celebrated in the Senate in 2024 by the Italian Hinduist Union.
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