Believe it or not! 9th century Shiv Linga unearth by ASI in Vietnam

A Shiv Linga from the 9th century has been found in Vietnam which has made our country proud too. The representation of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva has been unearthed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the Cham temple complex in Vietnam during restoration work.

The External affairs minister S Jaishankar also affirmed about the Shiv Linga on his Twitter account.

He wrote, “Reaffirming a civilisational connect.

Monolithic sandstone Shiv Linga of 9th c CE is latest find in ongoing conservation project. Applaud @ASIGoI team for their work at Cham Temple Complex, My Son, #Vietnam. Warmly recall my visit there in 2011.”

“A great cultural example of India’s development partnership,” External Affairs minister wrote.

Notably, Cham temple is a part of the UNESCO world heritage site of My Son in Quang Nam province of Vietnam. It was built in the 9th century AD during the reign of King Indravarman II, who was also responsible for the famous Dong Duong Buddhist monastery in the same region.

Currently, a four-member team from ASI is engaged in the fourth season restoration and conservation work at My Son.

Since the past three seasons, ASI has restored temples in two different groups at the complex. Meanwhile, the team is working on a third group of temples.

“During the current restoration work at the temples, the ASI team found the Shiv Linga. It is a monolithic structure with decorative patterns of very exquisite cultural value,” an unnamed official told Hindustan Times.

“Before this, six other Shiv Lingas were found in the My Son temple complex. But the latest find is believed to be the most magnificent,” the official added.

Earlier, a French expert discovered a temple complex in 1903-04. While digging up, the French archaeologist had described that there is a presence of Shiv Linga in the group of temples that are currently being renovated.

At that time, due to the limited excavation capabilities, the Shiv Linga could not be found.

Following the political disturbances and wars in Vietnam led to the destruction of the temple complex.

To preserve and conserve the culture and heritage, the external affairs ministry created a new Development Partnership Division (DPA-IV) in January which is coordinating to do this project, including identification, planning, and implementation of schemes in consultation with technical agencies.

Recently, several broken statues of Hindu gods and goddesses were found at the Ayodhya temple site. The Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust tweeted about it.

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