Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the nearly 1,000-year-old Prambanan Temple during his state visit to Indonesia, highlighting the deep civilisational links shared by the two countries. Accompanied by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Modi offered prayers at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is dedicated to the Hindu Trimurti, Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. As he travelled from Yogyakarta to the temple by helicopter, the Prime Minister shared an aerial photograph of the monument on X, calling it, “The majestic Prambanan Temple!” The visit also comes as India and Indonesia explore cooperation to conserve the historic site.
However, the visit also had an extra diplomatic dimension since it served to highlight the Indonesian culture of Hinduism despite the country having the biggest number of Muslims in the world. Prambanan Temple is among the most cherished cultural symbols in Indonesia.
Prambanan Temple is the largest Hindu structure in Indonesia
Situated on the Central Java plains close to Yogyakarta, Prambanan Temple is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia and the second largest in Southeast Asia after Angkor Wat in Cambodia. This temple complex was constructed during the 9th and 10th centuries by the rulers of the Sanjaya dynasty in the ancient Mataram Kingdom.
Historical sources indicate that the construction of the temple was begun by King Rakai Pikatan and later finished by Lokapala who succeeded him. The monument was constructed to commemorate Shaivite Hinduism and is seen as the architectural reflection of Indonesia’s Borobudur Temple, the Buddhist architectural masterpiece.
The architecture of Prambanan Temple is amazing
One of the most outstanding features of Prambanan Temple is its impressive architectural design. Unlike most temples that have a broad layout, its lofty towers are prominent from afar. The central part of the temple consists of three large temples that are dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma.
The largest temple in the complex is the Shiva Temple, which stands at 47 meters in height. The temple constructed from volcanic stones consists of halls with images of Shiva, Durga, Ganesha and Agastya. The temple has a well-planned square architectural layout influenced by Hindu cosmology.
Prambanan Temple preserves a thousand years of history
The temple complex of Prambanan was initially made up of about 240 temples occupying an area of almost 40 hectares. Although the majority of the pervara shrines have been destroyed, this monument still stands out as one of the most magnificent religious edifices constructed in ancient Java.
Realizing the significance of this place in terms of history and architecture, UNESCO declared the Prambanan Temple Compound a World Heritage Site in 1991. This visit by Modi has once again focused the world’s eyes on the monument that dates back several centuries, thus strengthening the cultural connection between India and Indonesia.
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Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
