Yogyakarta — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a joint Indonesia-India conservation partnership for the Prambanan Temple Complex in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, capping PM Modi's three-day state visit with a cultural heritage agreement, centered on restoring the UNESCO World Heritage site.
The two leaders unveiled a plaque written "Indonesia-India Collaborative Cultural Heritage Conservation For Prambanan Temple" near the ruins of the complex's perwara, or companion temples, of which roughly 200 remain unreconstructed.
President Prabowo and PM Modi arrived earlier that morning by presidential helicopter, circling the temple complex twice from the air before landing at Adisucipto Air Force Base and touring the core temple grounds by buggy.
PM Modi on his X posted an areal video on Prambanan Temple seeing from helicopter.
"Culture is a bridge that can strengthen ties between nations," President Prabowo said at the site, expressing hope that PM Modi's visit would deepen friendship between the people of Indonesia and India.
President Prabowo also thanked PM Modi for the three-day state visit on behalf of the Indonesian government and people.
"On behalf of the government and people of Indonesia, I extend my deepest gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his state visit to Indonesia," President Prabowo said.
PM Modi, who paused to pray at the temple during the tour, welcomed the conservation agreement and credited President Prabowo's military background for giving him confidence in the project's timeline.
"Today, I want to convey that President Prabowo, as a soldier, knows how to plan things. So when he plans this restoration, there is a clear strategy," PM Modi said, adding that he expects the work to finish ahead of schedule.
