Lagatar24 Desk
Jakarta: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Prambanan, Indonesia’s largest Hindu temple, on Wednesday, the third day of his Indonesia visit, with the temple believed to be around a thousand years old; Modi is scheduled to depart for Melbourne, Australia, later in the evening.
Modi and Indonesian President Launch Temple Conservation Project
The visit came a day after Modi announced on Tuesday that he would join Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in launching a conservation project for the 1,000-year-old Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta. Located near Yogyakarta on the island of Java, Prambanan is among Indonesia’s largest temple complexes. Modi described the ancient temple as a symbol of the shared cultural heritage between India and Indonesia, calling it an honour to join President Prabowo in launching the conservation initiative.
A Look at Prambanan’s History and Architecture
The temple complex, which suffered damage from a volcanic eruption in the ninth century and eventually collapsed in the early 11th century, was rediscovered in the 17th century. Prambanan comprises 240 temples dedicated to the Hindu deities Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, with 16 temples located in its inner square, including the central Shiva temple that stands 47 metres tall. The temple dedicated to Brahma lies to its north, while the Vishnu temple is situated to the south. The complex has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its stone carvings depict an Indonesian rendition of the epic Ramayana.
