Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (8 July) toured the historic Prambanan Temple complex in Indonesia with President Prabowo Subianto, offering prayers at the nearly 1,000-year-old Hindu shrine devoted to the Trimurti of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma.
"It is my good fortune that I always get an opportunity to connect to Lord Shiv. I was born in Vadnagar where Hatkeshwar Mahadev is located. Somnath Jyotirlinga is the first jyotirlinga, it is located in Gujaray. I have the direct responsibilty of its development. My political constituency of Kashi (Varanasi) has Kashi Vishwanath Mahadev which has continued to bless me. Be it the redevelopment of Kedarnath or that of Ujjain Mahakal, or my visit here, I received the opportunity to start the renovation here. I consider this great fortune," PM Modi said during the visit.
Flying by helicopter from Yogyakarta to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Prime Minister posted an aerial photograph on X, writing, "The majestic Prambanan Temple!"
The trip came a day after New Delhi and Jakarta decided to begin a joint conservation and restoration effort for the temple, deepening cultural bonds under India's Act East policy.
During Tuesday's (7 July) bilateral talks, the two leaders exchanged a Letter of Intent for the initiative and renewed their pledge to broaden the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Situated on Java island, Prambanan is Indonesia's biggest Hindu temple complex and Southeast Asia's second largest after Cambodia's Angkor Wat.
Spanning nearly 40 hectares, it originally held around 240 temples. Constructed in the 9th century during the Hindu Mataram Kingdom, it is believed to have been commissioned by King Rakai Pikatan and finished by Lokapala.
The 47-metre Shiva Temple is its tallest structure, with walls carved with Ramayana scenes. Prambanan gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 1991.
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