There is a temple in Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, which testifies to the ancient cultural influence of India. The nearly 1,000-year-old Prambanan Shiva Temple is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia and now India is going to help in its renovation. This decision is not limited to just repairing a historical building, but is also being considered a symbol of the thousands of years old cultural relations between India and Indonesia.
Prambanan Temple, located in Yogyakarta, about 500 kilometers from Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, was built in the 9th century. This temple complex dedicated to Lord Shiva is famous throughout the world for its grand architecture and carvings. Stories from Ramayana are engraved on the walls of the temple, which show the historical relationship between Indian culture and Indonesia. The renovation of this temple will begin during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia on July 8. This is being considered a big initiative to strengthen the centuries-old cultural relations between India and Indonesia.
This was discussed in the meeting
In 2025, PM Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had agreed on the renovation of this temple in a meeting. There were once more than 240 temples in this complex, but most of them became ruins due to periodic earthquakes. This temple has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1991. Prambanan Temple was built by Rakai Pikatan in the 9th century. He was the ruler of the Hindu Mataram (Medang) kingdom. According to historians, the construction of the temple started around 850 AD.
Special features of Prambanan Temple (Getty Image)
Glimpse of Hindu culture
Now the Government of India will cooperate in the conservation and restoration of Prambanan Temple. It is believed that this will help in preserving the historical structure of the temple. Besides, cultural cooperation between the two countries will also get new strength. India has already done the work of preserving historical heritage in many countries. Relations between India and Indonesia are not like today. According to historians, centuries ago Indian traders, saints and scholars reached South-East Asia through sea routes. Indian culture, language, religion and traditions also reached there with them. This is the reason why even today Ramayana and Mahabharata are staged in Indonesia and glimpses of Hindu culture are visible in many places.
About Prambanan Temple
The main Shiva temple of Prambanan Temple is 47 meters (154 ft) high and is famous for its tall, pointed Hindu style architecture. There is the biggest temple of Lord Shiva in the middle of the temple. Statues of Mother Parvati, Lord Ganesha and Sage Agastya are also installed here. On either side of the Shiva temple, there are temples of Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, while in front there are temples dedicated to the vehicles of the gods including Nandi. Prambanan Temple was built according to Hindu beliefs. This temple was divided into three parts – the outer part, the middle part and the innermost sacred part. These three parts are considered symbols of different levels of life and spiritual journey in Hinduism. Earlier these parts were separated by stone walls, but now only their foundations remain.
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