PM Modi Gifted Daruma Doll, Symbol of India-Japan Ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented with a traditional Daruma doll, a revered Japanese symbol of good luck and perseverance, by Rev. Seishi Hirose, Chief Priest of Shorinzan Daruma-Ji Temple in Takasaki, Gunma, during his two-day visit to Japan for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. The gesture, described by the Ministry of External Affairs as a reaffirmation of the deep civilizational and spiritual ties between India and Japan, underscores the shared Buddhist heritage rooted in the legacy of Bodhidharma, an Indian monk from Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, known in Japan as Daruma Daishi.

The Daruma doll, a hollow, round papier-mâché figure often painted red, is modeled after Bodhidharma, the 5th-century founder of Zen Buddhism, who is believed to have meditated for nine years, resulting in the atrophy of his limbs—hence the doll’s limbless design. Its weighted base ensures it returns upright when tilted, embodying the Japanese proverb “Nanakorobi yaoki” (fall seven times, get up eight), symbolizing resilience. Traditionally, one eye is painted when setting a goal, and the other upon its fulfillment, a practice rooted in Takasaki’s Shorinzan Temple, the doll’s birthplace since 1697.

Modi’s visit, amid tensions with the US over trade tariffs, included meetings with former Japanese Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida, and an address at the India-Japan Economic Forum, where he pitched for collaboration in technology, green energy, and manufacturing. The Daruma gift, presented on Friday, carries symbolic weight, wishing Modi success in strengthening bilateral ties and leadership resilience, while highlighting India’s historical influence on Japanese culture through Buddhism.

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