‘Indians have lost sight of their cultural contacts with world’

Not  many of us know of numerous Hindu deities being worshipped very actively in Japan. There are hundreds of shrines to Saraswati alone and innumerable representations of Lakshmi, Indra, Brahma, Ganesha, Garuda and other deities. In fact, deities we have practically forgotten in India such as Vayu and Varuna are still being 0worshipped in Japan. 

“Japan has preserved ancient Hindu traditions even when they may have changed here in India. A study of Japanese Buddhism provides missing links in our study of the evolution of Buddhism in its present form in Tibet,” says filmmaker, art historian and photographer Benoy K Behl. Known for his prolific output of work over the past three-and-a-half decades, Behl’s research and most of the photographs related to the subject can be witnessed at Hindu Deities Worshipped in Japan exhibition at Japan Foundation in Lajpat Nagar-IV till March 7, except Sundays. Excerpts from an interview: 

 
Why are we Indians so oblivious to the fact that Hindu deities are worshipped in Japan like they are not even in their own country?
Through the many years of Colonial rule, Indians have lost sight of their cultural contacts with much of the world. Indian culture did once pervade the whole of Asia. In fact, till 2006, the State Museum of Asian Art at Berlin was called “Museum of Indian Art” even though it had art from the whole of Asia.

This was because art historians used to feel that this art was Indian in theme and content, even though it may have been created in other countries. I have travelled to numerous locations in many Asian countries. I have also given lectures at museums across the world, inlcuding Europe  and USA. This has fortunately  given me a wide perspective and made it possible for me to see things which are not always very clear to eyes.

Don’t we, in India, have any temple of Vayu and Varuna? 
I have travelled across whole of India but I do not recall any Varuna or Vayu temple. Much of our knowledge and spirituality was lost during the long period of Colonial rule. We were made to see ourselves through the words and eyes of the British.
 
How did our deities travel to Japan? Do we have any evidence of this migration if we can call it so?
Indian philosophic ideas and deities travelled across the whole of Asia. In the case of Japan, these influences came to them mainly through two countries. One was China, through which ideas of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism and Tantric Buddhism, and many Indian deities of Buddhist temples, came to Japan. The other was Vietnam, which was the Hindu Champa Kingdom for more than a thousand years.

The Champa Kingdom contributed greatly to the spread of Indian influences on the Asian sea routes. It is from Champa that many manuscripts and cultural influences, including Indian dance forms, would have travelled to Japan. Bodhisena is a well-known historic figure of the 8th century from India, who inaugurated the great Todaiji Temple at Nara and began the systematic teaching of Sanskrit in Japan.
 
How is that the 5th century Siddham script is still in use in Japan whereas it has disappeared here?
In India, the script changed and evolved over the centuries. In Japan, they held it to be sacred and carefully preserved the original which came to them. They regard Beejaksharas in the script to be sacred and worship them.
 
Why is that despite all efforts nothing majorly has been done to get these basics back to India? 
We have so many things to do related to our great culture. 
I am certainly doing all that I can to help the people of both countries to understand each other. Within this month, my book, Hindu Deities Worshipped in Japan, will also be out.