Saraswati, Hindu goddess sculpture at Embassy Row, Washington DC, US.
Saraswati is a sculpture on Embassy Row in Washington, D.C., showing the Hindu goddess seated on a lotus flower with three figures of students at her base. The work is painted white and gold and stands on the sidewalk along Massachusetts Avenue, near the Indian Embassy.
The sculpture was completed in 2013 by a group of five Balinese sculptors working under the direction of I. Nyoman Sudarwa, and the entire carving took about five weeks. It was offered as a diplomatic gift from Indonesia to the United States.
Saraswati is revered in Balinese tradition as the goddess of knowledge, and her image is immediately recognizable by the lotus flower she sits on and the tools of learning she holds. The sculpture stands in the open air on a public sidewalk, making it part of everyday street life rather than a formal museum setting.
The sculpture sits on the public sidewalk and is fully visible from street level with no entry required. It fits naturally into a walk along Embassy Row, where several embassies and other outdoor monuments are within easy reach.
One of the three student figures at the base is said to represent Barack Obama as a child, who spent part of his early years in Indonesia. This detail gives the work a personal layer that goes beyond its role as a diplomatic object.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
