Rameswaram Temple Backdrop Steals Spotlight at BRICS Summit

The renowned Ramanathaswamy Temple located in Rameswaram turned out to be an accidental eye-catcher at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi as PM Narendra Modi hosted leaders of the group. The Ramanathaswamy Temple background was used as the setting while welcoming the leaders at Bharat Mandapam, thus introducing a unique feature related to Indian culture in the international event.

India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13. This international event includes leaders of emerging economies along with other partners.

PM Narendra Modi Welcomes BRICS Leaders

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted some leaders among the visitors at Bharat Mandapam, which is also the place where the summit takes place. These include, for example, Chinese President Xi Jinping who also participated in bilateral talks with PM Modi.

It is worth saying that the choice of the setting during the welcoming procedure was rather unique as the Ramanathaswamy Temple is historically associated with the city of Rameswaram.

What Is the Ramanathaswamy Temple?

The Ramanathaswamy Temple is a temple that worships Lord Shiva and one of the most famous temples that relate to the Shaivaite culture of India. It also falls under the list of 12 Jyotirlinga temples.

Situated on Rameswaram Island, the temple has huge corridors and architectural marvels. Being featured in the BRICS welcoming background helped to introduce an Indian cultural heritage icon in a diplomatic arena.

Leaders of BRICS Countries Discuss Global Governance

The cultural performance occurred ahead of the scheduled closed session called “Inclusive Global Governance and Multilateralism.”

This is one of the sessions that have been included in the India’s BRICS 2026 program to promote greater multilateral cooperation and inclusiveness within the global organizations.

The summit also provides India with the chance to conduct bilateral discussions with participating leaders in regard to cooperation in various sectors including trade, technology, energy, security and global governance.

18th BRICS Summit Hosted by India

The 18th BRICS Summit is taking place in New Delhi from September 12 and 13, 2026 under India’s Chairmanship.

To India, the summit represents a key diplomatic and cultural event as well. The background of the Ramanathaswamy Temple added another dimension to the summit.