External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday, August 18, 2022, highlighted the shared religious and cultural traditions between India and Thailand as he visited a Hindu temple here which is the official centre of Hinduism in the country.
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Mr. Jaishankar arrived here on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 to attend the 9th India-Thailand Joint Commission Meeting.
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"Offered prayers this (Thursday) morning at the Devasthana of Bangkok. Received the blessings of Phra Maharajaguru Vidhi. Underlines our shared religious and cultural traditions," Mr. Jaishankar tweeted.
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Devasathan or Royal Brahmin Office of Thai Royal Court is situated near Wat Suthat in the Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok. The temple is the official centre of Hinduism in Thailand.
Maharajaguru Vidhi is the head of the Thai Brahmin community.
External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar with his Thailand counterpart and Deputy PM Don Pramudwinai during the 9th India-Thailand Joint Commission Meeting, in Bangkok on August 17, 2022. | Photo Credit: PTI
The temple is the home of the Court Brahmins, who are descended from an ancient lineage of priests from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. The Brahmins perform many important royal and religious ceremonies for the Monarchy of Thailand every year.
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Mr.. Jaishankar on Wednesday visited the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand and saw the splendid Ramayana murals.
"Our contemporary partnership with Thailand draws so much from history and culture," he tweeted on Wednesday.
On August 17, Mr. Jaishankar jointly inaugurated the Indian Embassy Residence Complex in Bangkok with Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.
"Congratulate Ambassador @IndiainThailand and her team for the excellent project delivery," he tweeted.