Deputy-Head of ICCR Yogeshwar Varma

PANO - Yogeshwar Varma, Deputy-Head of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), stressed that Vietnam was a special nation in Buddhist heritage preservation.

He gave the comment during the sideline of an International Buddhism Conference held in Hanoi on April 6th and 7th.

According to Mr. Varma, he found various pagodas in provinces and cities across the North, which meant that Buddhism had great impact on the life of Vietnamese people.

He shared that his first visit to Vietnam this time was very impressive. He visited the My Son Sanctuary, seen as one of the foremost Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia; the relic truly deserved to be a UNESCO World’s Heritage Site.

He also contemplated on some old pagodas in Hanoi. He discovered that, despite two resistance wars against foreign invaders, pagodas in the North still kept their ancient and imposing features. He made comparison between pagodas in Vietnam and India.

According to him, India and Vietnam had a long-term cooperation in Buddhism research. The ICCR granted scholarships to more than 100 countries in the world, including Vietnam year on year. He wished more Vietnamese scholars would study and do research on Buddhism in India and added that ICCR were ready to present scholarships to Vietnamese scholars and students.

Translated by Mai Huong