Modi, Prabowo inaugurate ASI-led Prambanan temple restoration project in Indonesia

The Archaeological Survey of India will conserve the UNESCO-listed Prambanan Temple under an agreement reached during Prabowo’s 2025 India visit.

Published on: Jul 8, 2026, 19:43:45 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar, New Delhi

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A project to restore and conserve the 9th-century Prambanan temple compound at Yogyakarta in Indonesia was inaugurated on Wednesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Prabowo Subianto, who described the shrine as an example of the shared cultural heritage of the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated the ASI-led restoration of Indonesia’s 9th-century Prambanan Temple. (AP)

The two leaders flew by helicopter from Yogyakarta city on Java island to the temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is implementing the conservation and restoration project. The complex, located about 20 km from Yogyakarta city, has temples dedicated to Lords Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes blessings during his visit to the Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta (DPR PMO)

“This initiative is a shining example of the enduring civilisational bonds between India and Indonesia, rooted in a shared heritage that has connected our people for centuries,” Modi said about the project in a social media post. The temple, he said, is a “timeless symbol of our cultural and spiritual links”, and preserving it is “about safeguarding the traditions that continue to inspire generations”.

Modi added, “India is privileged to partner with Indonesia in this important endeavour. As nations with deep cultural connections, India and Indonesia will continue to work together to celebrate our shared past while building an even stronger future.”

Prabowo said the Prambanan temple is a reminder of the strong civilisational ties between Indonesia and India dating back more than 1,000 years. The relations between the two sides are built not only through political, economic and defence cooperation, but also through cultural values and mutual respect passed down from generation to generation.

The temple is also a symbol of Indonesian civilisation that upholds science, art, spirituality and humanitarian values, and the reliefs depicting the Ramayana carved into its walls testify to the cultural closeness between Indonesia and India, Prabowo said.

The two leaders unveiled a commemorative plaque marking the launch of the conservation project, which follows the understanding reached during Prabowo’s visit to India in 2025 on India’s assistance in restoring temples at the site.

India has successfully restored and conserved several World Heritage Sites in Southeast Asia. The ASI earlier carried out extensive documentation at the Borobudur temple compounds in Indonesia.

Modi said at the conclusion of his visit to Indonesia that the outcomes had opened new avenues for cooperation in defence, security, maritime collaboration, emerging technologies, AI and digital innovation. Indonesia was the first stop on a three-nation tour that also includes Australia and New Zealand. As a special gesture, Modi was seen off at the airport by Prabowo.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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