New Delhi, Feb 19 : The construction, inauguration, and restoration of its temples across the world is yet another testament to India building and deepening its ties with its 32 million-plus-strong diaspora and an estimated 1.2 billion Hindus across the world.

Much before the British arrived in India and years after they left, the continuous migration of Hindus -- as traders, indentured labourers, skilled workers, and highly qualified professionals -- has given rise to several temples in the countries they settled in. 

It is estimated that there are around two million Hindu temples across the world and some of the noted ones include the Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Prambanan temple in Indonesia, Nepal's Pashupatinath Temple, and Australia's Shiva Vishnu Temple. 

In Thailand, the construction of Hindu temples started in the third and fourth centuries AD with the earliest images of Lord Vishu being found, and in Vietnam, the Cham people built several Hindu temples.  "There are temples not only in India and the Indian subcontinent but in many regions beyond," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had aptly said during his visit to Cambodia in 2022.