The Embassy of Indonesia, the country which is home to the largest number of Muslims in the world, has erected a 15 foot high statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of education and wisdom, on Embassy Row (Massachusetts Avenue) Washington DC.
Indonesian Ambassador Dino Patti Djalal says the goal was to stand out from the other embassies. “One of the most famous, if not the most famous, islands in Indonesia is Bali,” he says. “And Bali is a Hindu enclave in Muslim-majority Indonesia. And I think it says a lot about our respect for religious freedom that the statue in front of the country with the largest Muslim population is a Hindu statue.”
The four handed statue done in traditional Balinese art was built by five sculptors from Bali in three month on site after flying down the basic steel structure from Indonesia. The body of the goddess has been done with a mix of cement. One of the hands holds prayer beads (aksamala) symbolic of the unending process of learning and another one holds a manuscript or “lontar” depicting source of knowledge. The remaining two hands are seen playing the musical instrument Veena with which Saraswati is ideally represented. The Veena stands for arts and culture.
The statue has the goddess sitting on a large lotus which according to the Hindu religion is the symbol of purity of knowledge. A white swan by her side represents the wisdom gained from knowledge.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
