Daruma Doll
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented with a Daruma Doll during his two-day trip to Japan by the chief priest of Shorinnzan Daruma-Ji Temple, Rev Seishi Hirose, in Tokyo. The doll is a symbol of good luck in Japanese culture.
The Daruma Doll is a traditional doll. It is a round, hollow, that has weight at the bottom, so it always returns upright, signifying the message of 'fall seven times, get up eight'. Legend says that it is a talisman of preserving good fortune, luck, and ambitions. It is modelled after Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who founded Zen Buddhism in the 6th century.
The doll has solid blank eyes. One of the blank eyes is filled y its owner while setting a goal or making a wish, and another when the goal is achieved or the wish is fulfilled. The face of the doll is painted with a stern expression resembling Bodhidharma.
READ MORE: A Gift of Resilience: PM Modi Receives Daruma Doll at Shorinzan Temple in Japan | Watch
The Daruma Doll is considered to be a lucky charm for its owner. It helps in success in education, career, elections, and business. It is often brought at the beginning of a new year or during the temple festivals. After the year ends, the dolls are returned to the temples for a ritual burning signifying gratitude and renewal.
Different Daruma Dolls have different meanings, based on their colour. Let's take a look:
PM Modi was presented with the doll during his two-day visit to Japan as a symbol of wishing good fortune to him and his nation. It is a very meaningful gesture to strengthen diplomatic relations between India and Japan.
Meanwhile, PM Modi met the former Japanese Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida in Tokyo to discuss pathways to deepen the cooperation between India and Japan and the bilateral trade partnership between the two nations.
