Indians in Russia Have A Request For PM Modi Ahead Of His Visit In July

indians in russia have a request for pm modi ahead of his visit in july

New Delhi: The Indian Community in Russia have a request for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to the country this month. The Hindus living in the country want to build the first Hindu temple in Moscow.

The request was made by the president of the Indian Business Alliance and the Indian cultural and national centre "Sita", Sammy Kotwani. "The Hindu temple in Moscow will become not only a center of unity and a point of attraction for Indian culture, but also evidence of strong connections between the peoples of our countries," Kotwani said in a letter, according to Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti.

The temple, he said, will significantly increase the number of Indian tourists in the country.

Hinduism has seen gradual growth in Russia, a country traditionally known for its Eastern Orthodox Church.

Hinduism, mostly prevalent in India and Nepal, started to appear in Russia around the late 1900s, during a time called perestroika. Perestroika, meaning “restructuring”, was a time period focused on changing the political and economic systems in an attempt to end the era of stagnation.

Impressed by Indian culture, many Russian couples have come to India to get married as per Hindu customs.

Last year, three Russian couples got married in Haridwar. They were part of a group of 50 Russians who had come to Haridwar on a pilgrimage. They took seven rounds around the sacred fire during the wedding ceremony. After the marriage, they vowed to live with each other for seven births.

PM Modi is scheduled for a standalone State visit to Moscow from July 8 to 9 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the visit, the two leaders are expected to focus on strategic, economic and military ties.