Modi, Prabowo inaugurate ASI-led joint conservation undertaking for Ninth-century temple web site in Indonesia | India Information
3 min learnNew DelhiJul 8, 2026 07:35 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, earlier than concluding his Indonesia go to on Wednesday, visited the Ninth-century Prambanan Temple complicated in Yogyakarta together with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to inaugurate a joint conservation undertaking for the UNESCO World Heritage Web site. The undertaking might be led by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Calling the initiative a “shining instance of the enduring civilisational bonds” between India and Indonesia, the 2 leaders additionally unveiled a plaque on the temple, marking the graduation of the ASI’s conservation and restoration undertaking on the web site.
“President Prabowo Subianto and I inaugurated the UNESCO World Heritage Prambanan Temple Compound Restoration and Conservation Mission,” Modi posted on X after his go to.
“The magnificent Prambanan Temple stands as a timeless image of our cultural and religious hyperlinks. Preserving such heritage is about safeguarding the traditions that proceed to encourage generations,” he stated, including that India is privileged to companion with Indonesia on this necessary endeavour.
The central focus of the undertaking is the restoration of the Pervara temples — 224 subsidiary shrines organized in 4 concentric rows throughout the center zone of the compound, official sources instructed The Indian Categorical. Of those 224 temples, solely six have been restored thus far and the remaining 218 stand as intensive ruins.
The undertaking, spanning 10 years (2026–2036) with a complete outlay of Rs 65 crore, might be executed by ASI in collaboration with the Indonesian Heritage Company, sources added. The important thing actions of the undertaking embrace LiDAR (Gentle Detection and Ranging) sensor, and photogrammetric documentation of scattered stone members, archival analysis, structural, hydrological, and geotechnical research.
“As nations with deep cultural connections, India and Indonesia will proceed to work collectively to have fun our shared previous whereas constructing a fair stronger future,” Modi stated.
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“As we start the conservation and restoration work at Prambanan Temple complicated, I’m very assured that Indian vacationers will certainly go to this place,” he added.
The Prambanan Temple Compound, inscribed a UNESCO World Heritage Web site in 1991, is taken into account among the many most luxurious ensembles of Hindu temple structure on the earth. Constructed within the Ninth century below the Mataram Kingdom in Central Java, the compound incorporates over 500 temples, together with the hovering 47-metre Shiva temple.
India stated its assist for the restoration and conservation of the temple complicated “displays its enduring dedication to preserving shared civilisational heritage”.
The conservation undertaking follows the understanding reached between the 2 sides throughout President Prabowo’s state go to to India in 2025 to discover India’s help for the restoration of the temples on the Prambanan complicated, the MEA stated in an announcement.
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“India has had a profitable monitor document of heritage restoration and conservation of a number of World Heritage Websites in Southeast Asia. ASI has additionally earlier undertaken intensive documentation of the Borobudur Temple Compounds in Indonesia,” it stated.
From conserving key sections of the Angkor heritage complicated in Cambodia to offering grant help for restoration of one in all Sri Lanka’s 5 historic temples devoted to Lord Shiva, India has prolonged assist to a number of companions up to now 12 years in reviving the “shared civilisational heritage”, based on officers.
