Now Reading: India and Indonesia launch joint restoration of Prambanan Temple
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India and Indonesia launch joint restoration of Prambanan Temple
India and Indonesia launch joint restoration of Prambanan Temple
India and Indonesia have launched a joint project to restore the 9th-century Prambanan Temple near Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is the second-largest Hindu temple in Southeast Asia after Cambodia's…
The Story in Brief
India and Indonesia have launched a joint project to restore the 9th-century Prambanan Temple near Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is the second-largest Hindu temple in Southeast Asia after Cambodia's Angkor Wat and features three grand shrines dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The temple, built around 850 CE during the Sanjaya Dynasty, is known for its Ramayana sculptural reliefs and a traditional Ramayana ballet performed over 150 times each year by some 200 dancers and musicians.
Hindustan Times reports that India's involvement brings specialised conservation expertise to the site, which houses what the outlet calls one of the finest depictions of the Ramayana story anywhere in the world. The collaboration follows India's growing cultural outreach in Southeast Asia, though specific financial or technical commitments under the new project have not been detailed.
The Indian Opinion
Much of the coverage frames this project as India reclaiming a Hindu kingdom abroad. That misses the point. Indonesia has looked after Prambanan for centuries, and the Ramayana ballet there runs 150 shows a year without Delhi's help. This is cultural diplomacy between equals, not a discovery. The real test will come when a government changes in either country and the funding pledges turn into actual stonework. Does anyone remember the Muziris heritage project?
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
