Indonesian Embassy erects Saraswati Vigraha near White House in US

Statue of Hindu goddess Saraswati near White House
A statue of Hindu goddess Saraswati has reportedly been erected about a mile away from White House in Washington DC (USA).

This 10-foot high statue raised by Embassy of Indonesia on public space on Massachusetts Avenue NW was unanimously approved by Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B Dupont Circle. It is said to be even taller than Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, which is also on Massachusetts Avenue, about less than one fifth of a mile.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended Indonesia President Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Indonesian Ambassador to USA Dr. Dino Patti Djalal for installation of Saraswati statue; thus displaying religious pluralism, honoring diversity and respecting minorities. Zed also thanked Dupont Circle ANC for the unanimous Saraswati statue approval.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted that existence of different faiths showed God’s generosity and bountifulness. As we were all looking for the truth, dialogue would bring us mutual enrichment and help us overcome prejudices, Zed added.

Capitals of other countries around the world should also install statues of Hindu gods and goddesses in public places, thus proving their credentials of multiculturalism and pluralism, Rajan Zed stressed.

A statue carver and six stone masons were flown in from Bali (Indonesia) for this Saraswati statue, which was created in three weeks, reports suggest.

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population than any other country in the world; where Muslims form about 88% of the population and Hindus about 3%.

In Hinduism, Saraswati is revered as goddess of knowledge/learning, music, art, language/speech, and poetry. Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.