Prabowo and Modi Inaugurate Prambanan Temple Restoration Cooperation

President Prabowo Subianto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have officially inaugurated a cooperation agreement for the conservation and restoration of the Prambanan Temple complex. The ceremony took place during PM Modi’s state visit to the temple site in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, 8 July 2026. In a press statement, President Prabowo expressed his gratitude for PM Modi’s visit and voiced hope that their joint visit to Prambanan would further strengthen the friendship between the peoples of Indonesia and India. ‘Culture is a bridge that can unite nations, strengthen mutual understanding, and build trust to face a shared future,’ Prabowo stated. He welcomed the agreement between the two governments on the conservation and restoration of the Prambanan Temple complex. India’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Shri Sandeep Chakravorty, previously stated that the restoration agreement follows up on the 2025 Indonesia-India Joint Statement. He noted that since the statement was issued, the Indian government has been working with Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture, the Indonesian Heritage Institute, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to strengthen the restoration plan. Chakravorty highlighted ASI’s expertise in restoring ancient temples and monuments, citing its involvement in the Angkor Wat restoration in Cambodia and ongoing projects in Laos and Vietnam. He confirmed that an ASI team had already conducted a site visit to Prambanan and prepared a project report, which is currently under evaluation. He anticipated that the two leaders would announce the commencement of restoration work during their meeting. The Ambassador assessed that the restoration could enhance Yogyakarta’s tourism appeal and attract more foreign visitors, including from India, while also contributing to the development of other tourist destinations in Indonesia. Minister of Culture Fadli Zon explained that the cooperation focuses on revitalising the ‘perwara’ or smaller companion temples within the Prambanan complex. He noted that while the three main temples have been revitalised, only six of the approximately 200 perwara temples have been restored so far. Fadli Zon stated that the government still needs to assess the condition of the remaining perwara temples and expressed hope that the restoration process would be accelerated with the assistance of Indian experts.