The religions and cultures of India were first introduced to the Óc Eo region of the Mekong delta area in southern Vietnam, by several groups of Indians who migrated in the period just before and in the early years of the first millennium. As the area was a developed international trade port, its culture shows strong influences from India, unlike other civilizations that existed in the northern Vietnam. Most sculptures found in the Óc Eo region are dated to the 6th and 7th centuries. The Buddhist sculptures of Óc Eo resemble Indian examples not only in their iconography but also in the material and the finishing technique of polishing the surface to give it sheen, as seen on the sculptures of Sarnath, India. As for Hinduism, Siva and Durga were worshipped alongside Vishnu. Although the people of Óc Eo adhered faithfully to Indian models in iconography, some modifications were inevitable to adapt to the local culture. As only few sculptures of Siva, Vishnu, Skanda, and Durga— the Hindu deities worshipped by the people of Óc Eo—were made in India at the time, it is possible to date the Indian sculptures in comparison with the examples of Óc Eo. The Óc Eo civilization holds its significance as where early religious sculptures were produced and faiths originated in the Southeast Asia.