PM Modi receives special gift- 1st printed Sanskrit grammar written in Latin, amid rousing welcome in Zagreb

Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his historic trip to Croatia on Wednesday, the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited the nation, and was warmly welcomed by the thriving Indian community in Zagreb.

PM Modi's three-nation journey, which also included stops in Cyprus on the way to Canada for Tuesday's G7 Summit in Kananaskis, ends in Zagreb.

Andrej Plenkovic, his Croatian counterpart, gave the PM a ceremonial greeting at the Franjo Tudman Airport as a special gesture.

"This is a unique visit—the first time an Indian prime minister has ever made to a respected European ally. I am appreciative of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's kind welcome at the airport," PM Modi wrote on X.

“We welcomed the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Mo, di to Zagreb! This is the first visit by the Prime Minister of India, the most populous country in the world, and it comes at an important geopolitical moment. We are starting a new chapter in Croatia-India relations and creating the conditions for strengthening bilateral cooperation in several areas,” the Croatian Prime Minister said.

Special gift: A reprint of Vezdin's Sanskrit grammar, the first printed Sanskrit grammar written in Latin in 1790 by Croatian scientist and missionary Filip Vezdin while he was in India, was presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday by his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic. This gesture symbolizes the two nations' centuries-old close cultural ties.

Ivan Filip Vezdin, a Croatian-born Indologist, arrived in Malabar as a missionary in 1774 and went on to become the Vicar-General of the Malabar Coast.

In 1790, he is credited with publishing the first Sanskrit grammar to be printed. In 1999, a memorial honoring him was unveiled in Trivandrum.

Plenkovic also handed over a book titled ‘Croatia and India, Bilateral Navigator for Diplomats and Business’ to PM Modi, written by Croatian diplomat Sinise Grgica.

“To the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, I handed over a reprint of Vezdin’s Sanskrit grammar – the first printed Sanskrit grammar, written in Latin in 1790 by the Croatian scientist and missionary Filip Vezdin (1748-1806), based on the knowledge he gained during his stay in India from Kerala Brahmins and local manuscripts. With this pioneering work, Filip Vezdin became one of the first European scientists to seriously devote himself to Indian languages and culture. At the same time, this is a symbol of early cultural ties between Croatia and India,” said Plenkovic.

Plenkovic also said that the book reflects the achievements, as well as the potential that the two nations can still realise. "We believe that it will inspire and encourage the strengthening of our future cooperation and contribute to the further deepening of the mutual friendship between Croatia and India," he said.