India will cooperate in the conservation of 1170 year old Prambanan Shiva Temple, thousands of years old cultural relations with Indonesia will be strengthened.

New Delhi . In an important initiative to strengthen cultural ties between India and Indonesia, India will provide technical assistance in the conservation and restoration of the historic Prambanan Temple complex located on the island of Java. This temple is believed to be approximately 1170 years old and is an excellent example of Hindu architecture. This cooperation is being considered an important step towards further strengthening the ancient cultural, religious and historical relations between the two countries.

Prambanan Temple is located near the Yogyakarta region of Indonesia and was built by the Hindu Sanjaya dynasty rulers of the Mataram Kingdom in the ninth century. The major attraction of the temple complex is the huge temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, along with temples of Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. The entire complex is based on the concept of Trimurti and consists of hundreds of small and big temples. The story of Ramayana has been engraved on its walls through very beautiful sculpture, which is considered an important evidence of Indian cultural influence.

According to historians, maritime trade between India and South-East Asia was active since the first century. Indian traders used to reach Indonesia to trade in spices, textiles and other goods. Along with trade, the influence of Indian culture, Sanskrit language, religious traditions, art of temple building and epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata also gradually spread there. Local rulers adopted Indian traditions and over time Hindu and Buddhist culture became an important part of social life there.

Prambanan Temple is believed to be built between 850 and 856 AD. In later years the complex was significantly damaged by natural disasters, especially volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, and was neglected for a long time. During archaeological research in modern times, the real nature and historical importance of the temple was revealed. After this, the work of its conservation and reconstruction was started with scientific method using the original stones.

In the year 1991, this historical temple complex was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Even after this the conservation work continued. Now with the technical cooperation of India, work will be done on the restoration of small damaged temples in the temple complex. In this process, maximum use of original stones will be made so that the historical form can be preserved. If necessary, the original condition of the stones will also be assessed with the help of modern technologies and artificial intelligence.

Indonesia today is a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, but its government and society also give equal respect to its ancient Hindu-Buddhist heritage. Especially on the island of Bali, Hindu traditions are still alive today. In such a situation, India’s cooperation in the conservation of Prambanan Temple is being considered not just an archaeological project, but an important initiative towards taking forward shared cultural heritage, historical relations and civilizational dialogue. This cooperation will not only give new energy to the cultural diplomacy between the two countries but will also play an important role in the preservation of this invaluable heritage for the coming generations.