Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan recently posted a video on Instagram showcasing a Hindu Vishnu Temple located in Bandar Abbas, Iran. In the video, he featured the Persian song ‘Ae Vishnu Jaan’. However, Bachchan mistakenly referred to the temple as ancient, even though it was built around 135 years ago.
India and Iran have a rich history of civilization and culture. Prior to India’s Partition in 1947, the two nations shared a border and engaged in trade for centuries. Their deep-rooted ties have influenced each other’s cultures through trade, language, and religion for thousands of years.
The relationship between India and Iran dates back to ancient times, with Persian influence significantly impacting Indian courts, literature, and architecture, particularly during the Mughal era. Despite fluctuations in relations during the Cold War due to differing alignments, both countries established formal diplomatic relations in 1950.
Persian language has played a vital role in shaping various Indian languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, and Kashmiri. Over the centuries, Persian was widely used in administration, poetry, and elite culture during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal periods, contributing numerous words to everyday vocabulary.
In recent years, India and Iran have strengthened their ties through energy trade, collaborative projects like the Chabahar Port, and mutual cooperation in Afghanistan. Despite challenges like sanctions and geopolitical pressures, India has maintained a balanced relationship with Iran, driven by strategic, cultural, and economic interests.
