Jakarta: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, on Wednesday visited the majestic Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta, marking the launch of a joint conservation project for this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The visit will further strengthen cultural ties between India and Indonesia. It came a day after both countries exchanged a Letter of Intent to start the project on conservation and restoration of the temple complex with assistance from India.
Modi arrived in Indonesia on Monday on the first leg of his three-nation tour, which will also cover Australia and New Zealand.
In his remarks delivered at the joint press meet in Jakarta on Tuesday, Modi said, "More than a thousand years old, the Prambanan Temple stands as a timeless symbol of the shared cultural heritage of India and Indonesia."
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be the lead agency from the Indian side for the joint conservation project.
On arrival at the Prambanan Temple complex, Modi was accorded a traditional welcome. He and President Prabowo toured the ancient site, shook hands and posed for photographs with the temple complex in the backdrop.
Modi was also shown a ceremonial panel titled 'Indonesia-India Collaborative Cultural Heritage Conservation for Prambanan Temple Compound', which highlighted the project's history, design and expected outcome.
He was greeted with traditional chants and the sound of bells gently rung by a group of Indonesians.
In a post on X, Modi shared a video of the aerial view of the complex and wrote, "The majestic Prambanan Temple!"
The Prambanan Temple Compound, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Yogyakarta, is Indonesia's largest Hindu temple complex. Built in the 10th century, it is dedicated to Shiva and features reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana, along with temples dedicated to Vishnu, Brahma and their associated animals, according to the UNESCO website.
