India and Azerbaijan have friendly relations, based on civilisational linkages, cultural affinities and shared values of understanding and respect for other cultures. Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, got its name from Bagavan/Bhagavan, by which it was known during Sassanian period, while Azerbaijan gets its name from Azer (Fire) and Bhagavan (God).

The ‘Ateshgah’ fire temple, dedicated to goddess Jvala Devi, in the vicinity of Baku is a fine example of the age-old historical relations and cultural exchanges between India and Azerbaijan. This 18th century monument, with a much older history, which used to have a Trident (Trishul) over it, has wall inscriptions in Devanagiri and Gurmukhi, and is a surviving proof of the trade links and hospitality that Indian merchants enjoyed in Azerbaijani cities such as Baku and Ganja. Out of the 23 inscriptions found at the temple, 18 are in Devanagri and 2 in Gurmukhi. The sacred Hindu Swastika symbol is found in six inscriptions and majority of inscriptions begin with ‘Om Shri Ganeshaya Namah’. Goddess Jvala Ji is mentioned over a dozen times in these inscriptions. The two Gurmukhi inscriptions mention Guru Nanak by name, and his visit to Baku between 1511-1521. The Swastika symbol has also been found at a pot and artefacts from Bronze Age excavations at Garajamirli in Shamkir district of Azerbaijan, which highlights the continuity of cultural exchanges between India and Azerbaijan across millenia.

The cultural exchanges between Azerbaijan and India have led to close cultural affinity and shared traditions. World renowned Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi had a profound influence on eminent Indian poets like Amir Khusrau. In recent past, the famous Azerbaijani artist, Rashid Behbudov, a noted tenor who switched to singing popular Azerbaijani songs in European classical tradition was a close friend of late Raj Kapoor and has sung the song “Saare Jahan Se Acha Hindustan Hamara” and other popular Indian songs in his own voice. Indian intellectuals like Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore are well known in Azerbaijan and his selected works have been translated into Azerbaijani. The popular Azerbaijani novel Ali and Nino has been translated into Indian languages including Tamil. Mr. Nagif Hamzayev, Member of Parliament, visited India under ICCR’s Distinguished Visitors’ Programme in August 2019.

On 20 Feb 2026, the Mission launched ‘Baku Evenings’, a new cultural series aimed at promoting India’s culture, education, arts, and heritage through engaging community events in Azerbaijan. ‘Baku Evenings’ seeks to foster meaningful cultural exchange and strengthen people-to-people ties between India and Azerbaijan. On 27 Mar 2026, the Mission initiated ‘Bharat Filmotsav’, a celebration of Indian cinema, as part of its popular ‘Baku Evenings’ cultural outreach. Under this initiative, movies will continue to be screened across a period of several months, showcasing the vibrancy, diversity, and global appeal of Indian cinema to audience in Azerbaijan.

The Mission organised an Indian Food Festival in Apr, 2026 at the Chancery premises in Baku. Diverse Indian cuisines, cultural performances, and diplomatic engagements were the highlights of the event. The day-long even brought together the rich flavours, colours, and cultural heritage of India, attracting a large and enthusiastic gathering dance performance by Azerbaijani artists Shirkhan and Aliya on popular Bhojpuri song ‘Lollipop Lagelu’ became viral in India. In Jul 2026, the Mission organised the Great Indian Mango Festival, marking the first-ever event of its kind in Azerbaijan. The festival celebrated India's rich mango heritage by bringing five of the country's finest and most sought-after mango varieties to the people of Azerbaijan.

A permanent exhibition on UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India was innaugurated in Baku at the Chancery Premises in July, 2026. A Library titled ‘Tagore Nizami Library’ containing books on India and Azerbaijan also became operational in April, 2026. A talented Azerbaijani student Ms Naringul Malikova was awarded the ICCR Scholarship for studying comparative literature at University of Hyderabad in 2026, reflecting the interest of Azerbaijani students to know more about Indian culture. A dictionary of common words in Azerbaijani and Hindustani has also been prepared which has almost 500 words, reflecting the similarity in both languages.

Indian Festivals such as Holi, Dipawali, Onam, Pongal and Bihu etc. are regularly celebrated with much fanfare in Azerbaijan.