New Delhi, September 12 (Daily Kiran) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a significant gesture on Friday by presenting Russian President Vladimir Putin with a Russian translation of the ancient Tamil text, Thirukkural. This act underscores Modi’s commitment to showcasing Indian heritage and culture on the world stage.
The initiative was highlighted by the social media platform “Modi Story,” which noted that this is not the first time Modi has sought to promote Indian culture internationally. The post emphasized that gifting the Russian version of Thirukkural aims to share the timeless wisdom of the great Tamil saint and philosopher, Thiruvalluvar, across languages and borders.
Putin is currently in India to attend the 18th BRICS summit, taking place in New Delhi. Thirukkural is a celebrated work of Tamil literature that addresses themes such as morality, politics, and love, and its author, Thiruvalluvar, is also known as Valluvar.
The post from “Modi Story” referenced a statement by K. Srinivasan, former secretary of the Sahitya Akademi, who pointed out that during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in 2019, Modi had initiated the translation of ten contemporary Indian works into Russian, Chinese, and English to reach a global audience.
Srinivasan remarked that Modi has carved out a space for Indian culture, literature, and languages on the international stage. He acknowledged that while India produces exceptional literary works, presenting them to the world has often been challenging.
In 2020, during discussions with the Ministries of External Affairs and Culture, a list of ten books was prepared for translation into three languages. The virtual SCO summit, held during the COVID-19 pandemic, saw the launch of these translations.
Srinivasan noted that Modi emphasized the achievement of this goal, reflecting his serious commitment to promoting Indian literature and languages internationally.
The post also recalled that during Putin’s visit to India in December 2025, Modi had presented him with a Russian version of the Bhagavad Gita. “Modi Story” described this initiative as a prime example of Indian cultural diplomacy, effectively placing Indian heritage prominently on the global stage.
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