Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day official visit to Japan (August 29–30) for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, was presented with a traditional Daruma doll on Friday.
The gift was offered by the Chief Priest of Darumaji Temple, Rev. Seishi Hirose. The Daruma doll is one of Japan’s most recognisable cultural symbols, modelled after Bodhidharma, the Indian monk regarded as the founder of Zen Buddhism.
The doll, usually painted in bright red and gold, is seen as a symbol of perseverance, resilience, and good fortune. It is also associated with the practice of goal setting. According to Japanese tradition, one eye of the Daruma is painted while making a wish or setting a goal, and the other is filled in once the goal is achieved.
The link between India and the Daruma tradition is strong, as Bodhidharma, also known in Japan as Daruma Daishi, hailed from Kancheepuram in southern India. He is believed to have meditated for nine years, which is why the Daruma doll has a round, limbless form and unpainted eyes.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi met former Japanese Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. He also addressed the India-Japan Economic Forum, where he called for deeper cooperation in manufacturing, technology, innovation, green energy, and skill development. Modi said that the world today is not only watching India but also placing its trust in the country’s growth journey.
-IANS