Prabowo and Modi Inaugurate Prambanan Temple Restoration Cooperation
President Prabowo Subianto and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India have officially signed a cooperation agreement for the conservation and restoration of the Prambanan Temple. This inauguration took place during Prime Minister Modi’s state visit to Indonesia.
Prabowo and Modi visited the Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, 8 July 2026. In his press statement, President Prabowo expressed his gratitude for PM Modi’s visit to the country.
Prabowo expressed hope that their joint visit to Prambanan would further strengthen the friendship between the peoples of Indonesia and India. “Culture is a bridge capable of uniting nations, strengthening mutual understanding, and building trust to face a shared future,” said Prabowo, as quoted from a live broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel on Wednesday.
The Chairman of the Gerindra Party welcomed the cooperation between Indonesia and India regarding the conservation of Prambanan Temple. “On this happy occasion, I welcome the conservation and restoration agreement for the Prambanan Temple complex between the governments of Indonesia and India,” he stated.
The Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Shri Sandeep Chakravorty, previously noted that the Prambanan restoration agreement follows up on the 2025 Indonesia-India Joint Statement. According to Chakravorty, since the publication of that joint statement, the Indian government has been working with the Indonesian Ministry of Culture, the Indonesian Heritage Institute, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to strengthen the temple restoration plans.
Chakravorty explained that the ASI is an institution possessing expertise in the restoration of ancient temples and monuments. The agency was previously involved in the restoration of Angkor Wat in Cambodia and is currently working on similar projects in Laos and Vietnam.
He stated that the ASI team has conducted direct inspections of Prambanan Temple and prepared a project report that is currently under evaluation. “The ASI team has come to Indonesia, inspected the temple, and prepared a project report which is now in the evaluation stage. We believe that when both leaders meet, they will announce the commencement of the temple restoration work,” he said on Friday, 3 July 2026.
Chakravorty assessed that the restoration of Prambanan Temple has the potential to enhance the tourism appeal of Yogyakarta while attracting more international tourists, including those from India. He added that the restoration is also part of the effort to develop other tourist destinations in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon stated that the Prambanan Temple revitalisation cooperation includes the restoration of the ‘perwara’ or smaller temples that serve as complementary structures to the three main temples in Prambanan. “Specifically for Prambanan, India is very interested because this is one of the largest Hindu temples in existence, featuring three main temples and approximately 200 perwara temples,” he said at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, 7 July 2026.
The Gerindra politician noted that Indonesia has already revitalised all the main temples in Prambanan. However, only six of the hundreds of perwara temples have been restored so far.
Fadli mentioned that the value of the restoration cooperation between India and Indonesia is not yet known, as the government still needs to assess the condition of the perwara temples at Prambanan. Fadli expressed hope that the revitalisation process could proceed swiftly with the assistance of experts from India.
Previously, President Prabowo and Indian PM Narendra Modi arrived in Yogyakarta on Wednesday afternoon, 8 July 2026. Observers noted that Prabowo and the Indian PM landed at Adisutjipto Airport at approximately 11:15 WIB using state helicopters.
Via the VIP access of the Adisutjipto Air Force Base, the convoy of Prabowo and the Indian PM left the airport complex around 11:30 WIB. Hundreds of students dressed in traditional Javanese attire welcomed them.
The Indian PM appeared to be using a black presidential sedan, while Prabowo travelled in a Maung vehicle. The Gerindra Chairman was also seen leaning out of his vehicle to greet the students.
The arrival is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Indonesia and serves to follow up on the cooperation for the restoration of the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia is a return visit following President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to India last year.