THEMATIC PAGE · 06 OF 08
Civilisational & cultural.
India's cultural diplomacy through ICCR, yoga diplomacy, Buddhist circuit tourism, and heritage cooperation. Tracks cultural centres, language programmes, and joint heritage projects with partner countries.
24
Country partners
4
Sub-themes
7
Active frameworks
BY SUB-THEME · PARTNER COUNT
24 countries cooperating with India on civilisational & cultural
SHOWING 24 OF 24
Each card shows the headline framework or programme.
Nepal
SOUTH ASIA
Shared Hindu-Buddhist civilisation; Lumbini and Pashupatinath
Nepal and India share the deepest civilisational bond of any two countries — a continuum of Hindu and Buddhist practice, Sanskrit scholarship, and pilgrimage circuits. Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, is in Nepal; Pashupatinath is Hinduism's holiest Shiva temple outside India. India's ICCR Kathmandu is among its most active globally. Hindi is widely spoken; Nepali and Sanskrit share a literary heritage. Joint restoration of heritage sites and Buddhist circuit tourism are priority cooperation areas.
Cambodia
SOUTH EAST ASIA
Angkor Wat — India's greatest civilisational monument abroad
Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious monument, was built as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu in the 12th century by the Khmer Empire under Indian civilisational influence. The Ramayana and Mahabharata are performed in classical Cambodian dance (Apsara). India has provided major restoration assistance for Angkor through the Archaeological Survey of India. Sanskrit inscriptions at Angkor are central to Khmer royal heritage. India-Cambodia cultural MOU covers heritage, performing arts, and Sanskrit scholarship.
Sri Lanka
SOUTH ASIA
Buddhist heritage, Ramayana circuit, and shared Pali scholarship
Sri Lanka's Theravada Buddhist tradition is deeply intertwined with India's — the Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura is a sapling from Bodh Gaya, brought by Emperor Ashoka's daughter Sanghamitta. The Ramayana trail in Sri Lanka (Ravana's Lanka) draws Indian pilgrims. India and Sri Lanka jointly promote the Ramayana Circuit as a tourism product. Pali language scholarship is shared. ICCR Colombo runs extensive cultural programming.
Indonesia
SOUTH EAST ASIA
Hindu Bali, Ramayana dance, and 1,400 years of shared civilisation
Indonesia's civilisational debt to India is unparalleled in Southeast Asia. Bali remains a living Hindu society. Java's Prambanan temple complex is a 9th-century Hindu masterpiece. The Ramayana ballet at Prambanan is UNESCO-listed. Wayang kulit shadow puppetry enacts the Mahabharata. Bahasa Indonesia contains thousands of Sanskrit loanwords. India and Indonesia cooperate on heritage tourism and perform joint Ramayana Festival productions. ICCR Jakarta is active.
Thailand
SOUTH EAST ASIA
Ramakien, Theravada Buddhism, and royal Brahminical tradition
Thailand's national epic — the Ramakien — is the Thai retelling of the Ramayana; its classical dance form (Khon) is UNESCO-listed. Thai royal coronation rituals are conducted by Hindu Brahmin priests. Theravada Buddhism links Thai and Indian pilgrimage circuits. The Thai-India cultural agreement covers performing arts, language, and heritage. ICCR Bangkok runs Hindi and yoga programmes. Nalanda connections are a shared scholarly heritage.
Japan
EAST ASIA
Buddhist connections; Nalanda heritage; Subhas Chandra Bose legacy
Japan's Mahayana Buddhism traces its roots through Central Asia to India — the Nalanda university trained monks who carried Buddhist texts to Japan. Justice Radhabinod Pal's dissent at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal is revered in Japan. Subhas Chandra Bose and the INA connection is a touchstone for Indian cultural diplomacy in Japan. India-Japan cultural cooperation covers traditional crafts, performing arts, and academic exchanges. ICCR Tokyo is active.
Myanmar
SOUTH EAST ASIA
Theravada Buddhism; Bagan temples; Nalanda scholarly heritage
Myanmar's Bagan — a plain of over 2,000 Buddhist pagodas — is one of Asia's greatest heritage landscapes, shaped by Indian Buddhist civilisational influence. Nalanda-trained monks carried Sanskrit and Pali scholarship into Burma. The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is believed to enshrine Buddha's hair relics. India provides restoration assistance to Myanmar's heritage sites. The 2021 coup has constrained cultural exchange, but ASI-supported heritage work continues.
United Kingdom
EUROPE
ICCR London; Nehru Centre; Indian heritage in British museums
The Nehru Centre in London is India's flagship cultural diplomacy hub in Europe — hosting over 200 events a year covering classical music, dance, cinema, and literature. ICCR London is among the most active globally. Indian heritage objects in the British Museum and V&A are a standing cultural diplomacy issue; India has requested several returns. The Koh-i-Noor diamond in the Tower of London is an ongoing heritage conversation. Indian classical arts have a large professional community in the UK.
United States
NORTH AMERICA
ICCR New York, Chicago, San Francisco; yoga and Vedanta in America
ICCR operates cultural centres in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The Vedanta Society — established by Swami Vivekananda after his 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions speech in Chicago — has over 30 centres across the US. Yoga is practiced by over 35 million Americans; its Indian cultural roots are a point of pride in India's diplomacy. Indian classical music, dance, and cinema have large professional communities across US cities.
France
EUROPE
ICCR Paris; Pondicherry heritage; Sri Aurobindo connection
France's cultural connection with India runs through Pondicherry — a former French colony where the French Institute of Pondicherry has researched Indian civilisation for over 80 years. Sri Aurobindo's ashram in Pondicherry and Auroville (a Franco-Indian utopian community) are unique cultural nodes. ICCR Paris supports Indian classical arts in Europe. France's Musée Guimet holds one of the world's great collections of Indian art. Alliance Française-ICCR cultural exchanges are active.
United Arab Emirates
WEST ASIA
ICCR Dubai and Abu Dhabi; BAPS Mandir; cultural festivals
The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Abu Dhabi — inaugurated by PM Modi in 2024 — is the first traditional Hindu temple in the Arabian Peninsula, built with stone carved in India. ICCR operates in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, supporting classical arts for the 3.5 million-strong Indian community. India-UAE cultural festivals are major diplomatic events. Bollywood concerts in Dubai attract regional audiences. Hindi is effectively a lingua franca in the UAE.
Mauritius
AFRICA
Living Indian heritage; Pravasi Bharatiya; Aapravasi Ghat UNESCO site
Mauritius is arguably India's most complete cultural mirror abroad — 70% Indian-origin population has maintained Hindu temples, Bhojpuri folk music, Bollywood culture, and festival traditions for six generations. The Aapravasi Ghat UNESCO site commemorates the indenture system. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held in Mauritius. ICCR Mauritius supports Bhojpuri and Hindi promotion. Joint heritage programmes with India are extensive.
Malaysia
SOUTH EAST ASIA
Tamil cultural institutions; Thaipusam; Batu Caves as living heritage
Malaysian Tamil culture — sustained by 1.9 million Indian-Malaysians — is among the most vibrant Indian cultural expressions abroad. Tamil is an official language. Thaipusam at Batu Caves draws over a million devotees. Classical Tamil performing arts, Carnatic music, and Bharatanatyam have professional communities in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. ICCR Kuala Lumpur supports cultural programming. Tamil Nadu-Penang cultural links are deep.
Germany
EUROPE
ICCR Berlin; Indology tradition; Max Müller Bhavan
Germany has the oldest tradition of Sanskrit and Indological scholarship in Europe — Max Müller, who translated the Vedas, was German. Max Müller Bhavan (ICCR's brand in German-speaking countries) operates in Berlin, Munich, and Heidelberg. German universities have strong Indology and South Asian studies departments. India-Germany cultural MOU covers language, performing arts, and film. German interest in yoga, Ayurveda, and Vedic thought is substantial.
Russia
EURASIA
Bollywood nostalgia; Sanskrit scholarship; ICCR Moscow
Soviet Russia had a deep love for Indian cinema — Raj Kapoor was a superstar in the USSR. This cultural warmth endures. Russia has a strong tradition of Sanskrit scholarship and Indology at Moscow State University. Roerich family — Russian artists who lived in the Himalayas — are a shared cultural symbol; their estate in Naggar, Himachal Pradesh, is maintained as a heritage site. ICCR Moscow supports yoga, dance, and music events. Indian festivals in Russia draw thousands.
Italy
EUROPE
ICCR Rome; yoga and Ayurveda communities; Gandhi connections
Italy has a large and enthusiastic yoga and Ayurveda community. ICCR Rome supports classical Indian arts and cultural programming. The Italian School of East Asia Studies (IsIAO) has a tradition of Sanskrit and Indological research. Indian cinema has a devoted Italian following. Gandhi's writings influenced Italian non-violent movements. India-Italy cultural MOU covers arts, language, and heritage.
Brazil
LATIN AMERICA
World's largest yoga community outside India; ICCR São Paulo
Brazil has one of the world's largest yoga communities outside India — tens of millions of practitioners. Ayurveda clinics and Vedanta centres are widespread. ICCR São Paulo supports Indian classical dance, music, and cinema. The Brazilian Hare Krishna movement is among the world's largest. India-Brazil IBSA cultural framework covers film, arts, and youth exchange. Bollywood has a devoted Brazilian fanbase.
South Africa
AFRICA
Gandhi's Satyagraha birthplace; ICCR Johannesburg; Durban Tamil culture
Mahatma Gandhi lived in South Africa from 1893–1914 and developed Satyagraha — his philosophy of non-violent resistance — there. The Phoenix Settlement near Durban is a pilgrimage site. Durban hosts the largest Indian community in Africa; Tamil culture (temples, festivals, Bharatanatyam) thrives there. ICCR Johannesburg supports cultural exchange. Gandhi's South African years are a cornerstone of India's global cultural narrative.
Mongolia
CENTRAL ASIA
Tibetan Buddhism; Nalanda revival; India's Buddhist diplomacy
Mongolia's dominant religion is Tibetan Buddhism — tracing its roots through India's Nalanda university and Vajrayana tradition. India has provided support for Mongolian Buddhist institutions and monasteries. The Nalanda University revival in Bihar is partly framed as restoring a heritage shared with Mongolia, Japan, and the wider Buddhist world. India-Mongolia cultural exchanges focus on Buddhism, traditional medicine, and heritage conservation.
Trinidad & Tobago
LATIN AMERICA
Indo-Caribbean culture; Divali Nagar; Bhojpuri heritage
Trinidad's Indo-Caribbean culture — 37% Indian-origin population — has created a distinct fusion of Hindu practice, Bhojpuri folk music (chutney), and Indian-derived cuisine. The National Council of Indian Culture in Trinidad (NCIC) runs Divali Nagar, one of the world's largest Diwali celebrations outside India. India provides ICCR support and cultural scholarships. Bhojpuri preservation is a shared priority.
Kazakhstan
CENTRAL ASIA
Silk Road Buddhist heritage; yoga diplomacy; ICCR Almaty
Kazakhstan's Silk Road heritage includes Buddhist monastery sites that connect to Indian civilisational influence. India has promoted yoga diplomacy through ICCR Almaty. Kazakhstan's growing interest in Ayurveda and Indian traditional medicine creates cultural diplomacy opportunities. India-Kazakhstan cultural MOU covers arts, language, and heritage. SCO membership provides a multilateral cultural cooperation framework.
Uzbekistan
CENTRAL ASIA
Nalanda connection; Silk Road Hindu-Buddhist sites; Timur heritage
Uzbekistan's Silk Road cities — Samarkand, Bukhara, Termez — were nodes in the transmission of Buddhist and Hindu knowledge from India to Central Asia and China. Termez was a major Buddhist centre with Indian monk communities. The Nalanda network ran through this region. India and Uzbekistan cooperate on Silk Road heritage documentation. Yoga is growing in Uzbekistan. India-Uzbekistan cultural MOU is active.
Egypt
NORTH AFRICA
Ancient civilisation resonance; ICCR Cairo; Bollywood in Egypt
India and Egypt invoke their shared status as ancient civilisations in diplomatic framing. ICCR Cairo supports Indian classical arts and yoga diplomacy. Bollywood has filmed extensively in Egypt and has a strong Egyptian following. Indian tourist arrivals to Egypt are growing. Al-Azhar University's connections to Indian Islamic scholarship create a parallel cultural channel. India-Egypt cultural MOU covers arts, language, and heritage.
Argentina
LATIN AMERICA
Yoga and Vedanta community; ICCR Buenos Aires
Argentina has a large and dedicated yoga and Vedanta following. ICCR Buenos Aires supports Indian classical arts, cinema, and cultural programming. The Argentine yoga community traces its lineage through BKS Iyengar and other Indian masters. India-Argentina cultural cooperation is developing; IBSA People-to-People Forum provides a multilateral framework. Indian cuisine and Bollywood are gaining Argentine audiences.