The statue of ‘Sleeping Buddha’ at a museum in Tajikistan’s capital in Dushanbe showcases ancient cultural and historical ties between India and Tajikistan
Vice President Hamid Ansari, who arrived in Tajikistan on a four-day visit, was amazed by this grand artifact when he visited National Museum on Sunday.
“It is a wonderful and memorable experience. The reclining Buddha is an amazing piece of art which has been restored diligently… It shows that we are all part of one cultural regime where people and idea have travelled back and forth for a very very long time,” he said.
The replica of ‘Sleeping Buddha’ is around 13 meters long and 5.5 tonnes in weight is show cased in this state-of-the-art grand National Museum which was inaugurated late last month by Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon.
The original ‘Sleeping Buddha’ is kept in National Museum of Antiquities here. This remarkable historical piece was excavated by Soviet archaeologists in 1996, from a Buddhist monastery complex in Ajina Teppa in southern Tajikistan.
Ajina Teppa was an important location on the ancient Silk Route connecting China with Europe and central Asia with the Indian seaports.
Ansari was also “deeply impressed” by the historical art pieces showcased in the museum.
“I have been deeply impressed by the historical artifacts in this grand museum. In particular, I am amazed with the statue of the lying Buddha and must congratulate the Government of Tajikistan for reassembling the pieces and putting it on display. This statue is a reminder of the ancient ties between India and Tajikistan,” he wrote in visitors’ book at the museum.
He further mentioned that the cross fertilisation of ideas, ideology, commerce and people-to-people contact at that point of time is evident from the artifacts kept in the museum.
“In modern days, we have built a strong collaboration between our two countries and I hope these enduring contacts will remain a civilisational stream,” he wrote.
A large number of tribes including Buddhists were said to be living in Tajikistan during seventh century AD, when Arabs had invaded central Asian region.
The purpose of Ansari’s visit is to cement bilateral ties between the two nations by extending cooperation in multiple sectors including trade and counter-terrorism measures.