India and Israel are “natural allies” who are united by a fundamental commitment to the democratic ideals upon which they were founded, said Israeli President Isaac Herzog, while making a rare appearance at an exhibition in Jerusalem featuring Indian deities and temple rituals on Thursday.
Herzog attended a cultural event at the Israel Museum to inaugurate the new exhibition, Body of Faith: Sculpture from the National Museum of India. He called the exhibition a by-product of the growing friendship between the two countries.
“India and Israel are natural allies, united by a fundamental commitment to the democratic ideals upon which both our nations were founded. Yet this evening transcends politics, commerce — even diplomacy,” he said.
The exhibition showcases 14 exquisite large-scale Indian sculptures created between the fourth and thirteenth centuries, some on loan from the National Museum in New Delhi and some from the Israel Museum’s collection. The six-month-long exhibition will also host a series of academic talks and special lecture demonstrations by selected artists from India. The exhibition is significant, as it displays the Biblical references to Indian-origin spices and fragrances such as Neradh oil, Ahaal aromatic wood and cinnamon, which among others were considered essential for religious services during the Temple periods in Jerusalem.
