Book Review: Traces of Indian Culture in Vietnam

The colossal Angkor Wat of Cambodia stands as a towering acknowledgement of India’s civilizational presence in the region. Even the celebration of Hindu way of life in the Indonesian Island Bali testimonies overwhelming Indic influence. Indeed, Ramayana is regarded as a veritable cultural link between India and South East Asian Countries. Highlighting the iconic historical religious and cultural connect between South East Asian countries and India, Philippines during the inaugural session of ASEAN Summit at Manila in 2018 staged an opera on Ramayana. Traces of Indian culture in various South East region are widely known. The three-day long elaborate coronation ceremony of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn in May, mirrored traditional ancient India rituals. Be it invocation of positive vibes from the eight directions-cardinal and ordinal, ritualistic bath from waters collected from 108 sources as purification exercise, the anointment and final procession on palanquin, nearly every event of the grand ceremony resembled the practices carried out in ancient Indian courts. Further all these rituals were conducted by Buddhist and Brahmin priests. All these attributes, ritualistic resembles reinforces the fact that the expanse of Indian sub-continent and South East Asia nestled Hinduism, an integral part of Indic civilisation.

The book “Traces of Indian Culture in Vietnam” unveils new perspectives about the indelible imprints of Hindu culture in Vietnam. For varied reasons India always had a very special relationship with Vietnam. India’s assistance and help towards rehabilitation of war-ravaged Vietnam have bolstered those relations further. Author Historian Geetesh Sharma who spanned the length and breadth of Vietnam diligently collated valuable information about the oldest Hindu temples dated back to 2^nd/3^rd century and their close architectural resemblances to Hindu temples in India. All the temples in Vietnam were constructed by Cham rulers.  Cham rulers of the Cham Kingdom or the Champa Kingdom were Indian traders who travelled to Vietnam. But French historians established that the Cham Kingdom which ruled Vietnam from 2^nd to 15^th century had Austro-Asian origins undermining Indic connections. Numerous statues, mostly of Hindu Gods, stelas, towers, found across different parts of Vietnam and preserved in museums unequivocally confirm the impressionable reflections of Hindu culture. The book besides challenging the theories of French eloquently establishes organic links of Cham community that religiously follows the lunar Saka calendar and Hindu festivals to India. It also carries detailed accounts of various Hindu temples/ towers/ monuments in Vietnam.

The political dispensation at the helm of affairs which is keen on strengthening ties with South East Asian countries under the “Act East Policy” must now use these invaluable cultural and religious links in cementing ties.

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