India to restore Indonesia's Shiva Temple

New Delhi: India will launch the restoration of Indonesia's iconic Prambanan Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, during PM Narendra Modi's visit to Yogyakarta in Indonesia on July 8, marking a significant milestone in the expanding civilizational partnership between India and Indonesia.

The restoration follows a commitment made by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Prime Minister Modi at their 2025 meeting here, reflecting a shared vision to widen bilateral cooperation through the preservation of cultural heritage and historical linkages.

"We believe that when the two leaders meet, they will announce the official commencement of the restoration work," Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakravorty told reporters in Jakarta last Friday.


Rajya Sabha MP and former Foreign Secretary HV Shringla while speaking about India-Indonesia ties here last Friday organised by the Chintan Research Foundation framed the central question as whether India and Indonesia's civilisational comfort could be converted into strategic capability. Placing the partnership in geographic context, he pointed to the Strait of Malacca, through which roughly 22.5 million barrels of oil and around 1,000 vessels pass daily, arguing that this made the relationship one of strategic necessity rather than preference. He also flagged critical minerals and the green economy as central to Asia's industrial future, and closed by calling for "habits of implementation" rather than reliance on political statements alone, the shift, in his words, from promise to practice.

Completed in the 10th century, Prambanan temple is the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia.