Washington, June 3: In a heartwarming display of cultural exchange, Errol Musk, father of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has expressed his deep admiration for Sanatan Dharma, an ancient Indian philosophy. The 79-year-old businessman believes that following the principles of Lord Shiva could be the key to achieving world peace and well-being.Errol Musk’s fascination with Indian heritage and spirituality is evident in his plans to visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a sacred site for Hindus. This visit is a testament to his growing interest in the rich cultural legacy of India. “I think if the whole world followed Shiva, it would be all right,” Musk said in an interview. “I’m not an expert, but I’m fascinated by it. It’s so old, the religion is so ancient that it boggles my mind. It simply tells us how little we actually know.”
Errol Musk’s remarks linking Sanatan Dharam with peace and well-being are sure to add to the growing global interest in Hinduism at a time when the Narendra Modi government is striving to invoke civilizational pride while leveraging the country’s soft power.
Musk senior’s admiration for spirituality and Sanatan Dharam comes close to the Mahakumbh Mela, which served as a living showcase of India’s civilizational legacy, attracting millions of visitors, including foreign dignitaries.
In recent years, the Modi government has strived to use events like the Mahakumbh to nurture cross-cultural ties and demonstrate unity in diversity and to project India’s spiritual and cultural vitality on the global stage.
The South American businessman’s adulation for Shiva and Hinduism is also an indication of how India has successfully used Sanatan Dharma for promoting its spiritual traditions, leveraging large-scale religious events, empowering its diaspora, and integrating cultural diplomacy into its foreign policy, thereby enhancing its global image and influence.
In recent times, India’s foreign policy has also increasingly integrated cultural and spiritual diplomacy, using its civilizational ethos as a tool to build goodwill, counter negative narratives, and position itself as a cultural superpower.