About 3,000 Hindus from 60 countries are expected to attend the World Hindu Congress 2023 hosted for the first time in Bangkok in November.
Susheel Kumar Saraff, chairman of World Hindu Congress (WHC) 2023, said the event would take place during Nov 24-26, organised under the theme “Jayasya Aayatnam Dharmah” or “Dharma, the Abode of Victory”.
The WHC is held every four years to celebrate the religion’s virtues and the success of Hindus around the world. The first-ever congress was held in New Delhi in 2014 and later in Chicago in 2018.
For WHC 2023, Mr Saraff expects over 3,000 Hindus from 60 countries who are members of Hindu communities or organisations to attend.
Mr Saraff said that Southeast Asia and Thailand have long been connected to Hindu culture.
Much of the ancient architecture in this region was inspired by Hindu or Indian architecture, such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Borobudur Temple in Indonesia, My Son Temple in Vietnam and Wat Phu in Laos.
Hosting WHC 2023 is an opportunity for Thailand to promote its tourism and economy to Hindu communities worldwide, including expanding networks for future investment and cultural exchanges, said Mr Saraff.
The WHC is an international event that connects Hindu leaders, activists and thinkers to exchange ideas and lead their community forward. The aim is to revitalise Hindu virtues through seven meeting topics concerning Hindu lessons.
The conference will feature prominent figures in economics, education, media, politics, feminism, youth and civil groups.
Some 16% of the world population, or 1.2 billion people, identify as Hindus and are living in 200 countries.