Thailand makes Lord Hanuman official mascot for Asian Athletics Championships
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Bangkok: Lord Hanuman has been chosen to be the official mascot for the Asian Athletics Championships starting in Bangkok on Wednesday.
"As Hanuman exhibits extraordinary abilities in (Lord) Rama's service, including speed, strength, courage, and wisdom ... Hanuman's greatest ability is, in fact, his incredibly staunch loyalty and devotion," said the Asian Athletics Association said in its website.
The event is being held on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the continental governing body.
"The 25th Asian Athletics Championships 2023 logo indicates the athletes participating in the games, skills, teamwork of athletes, showcase of athleticism, dedication, and sportsmanship," it added.
The Indian team led by shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor and long jumper Murali Sreeshankar has left for the five-day event on Saturday night.
Lord Hanuman is a beloved god in India. On the other hand, Hindus are a minority religion followed by 0.1% of the population in Thailand. However, the Buddhist-majority nation has a very strong Hindu influence and many elements of Thai culture demonstrate this heritage. The Southeast Asian country has been in contact with Hinduism through India for over 2000 years.
Popular Thai epic Ramakien is based on the Buddhist Dasaratha Jataka, which is a Thai variant of the Hindu epic Ramayana. The country's national emblem has Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu. The city of Ayutthaya is named after Ayodhya. Many Hindu-Buddhist deities like Brahma, Ganesh, and Indra are also worshipped in Thailand.