What is Daruma Doll gifted to PM Modi in Japan? Why the Indian-origin doll has no limbs, eyes

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday was gifted a Daruma Doll by chief priest of the Shorinzan Daruma-Ji Temple, Rev Seishi Hirose, on his two-day visit to Japan.

The Daruma is an iconic cultural symbol and souvenir of Japan. It has a strong cultural significance and roots in India.

Why Daruma Doll has no limbs

The Daruma is based on Bodhidharma, an Indian monk from Kancheepuram, known in Japan as Daruma Daishi. It is believed that Bodhidharma meditated for 9 years continuously, facing a wall, with his limbs folded. That is why the Drauma doll has a rounded shape with no limbs and no eyes.

But there is another explanation why the doll has no eyes, and when the doll gets its eyes.

Daruma Doll and Zen Buddhism

The Daruma Doll is modelled after Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. They are known as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, often used to represent setting and achieving goals. The tradition involves filling in one eye when a goal is set and the other eye when the goal is achieved. It also symbolises the virtue of never giving up. Its rounded bottom makes it pop back up when tipped over, like the saying, “Fall seven times, stand up eight".

Daruma Doll as a goal-setting tool

Daruma Doll is often used as a goal-setting tool. When someone sets a personal or professional goal, they paint one of the doll’s eyes. Once the goal is achieved, they paint the other eye, completing the doll. Commonly seen around New Year in Japan, Daruma dolls are also sold at temples and festivals as charms for success, business prosperity, exams, and personal growth.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi met with the former Japanese PMs Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. "I had a very good meeting with Mr. Yoshihide Suga, former Prime Minister of Japan and Chairperson of the Japan-India Association. We spoke about the many dimensions of India-Japan cooperation and how we can further deepen it. Our discussions covered how to build closer collaboration, including in technology, AI, trade, investment and beyond," PM Modi said in a post on X.

"Had a wonderful meeting with the former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Fumio Kishida. He has always been a great advocate of closer India-Japan relations. We discussed the progress in our bilateral partnership across trade, critical technologies and human resource mobility. We also discussed the vast potential in emerging areas such as technology and semiconductors," he said.




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