PM Modi and President Prabowo will launch Prambanan Conservation, Tagore-Dewantara as a Cultural Bridge

President Prabowo subianto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: Cahyo - Presidential Secretariat Press Office)

JAKARTA - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he and President Prabowo Subianto would launch a conservation project for Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta. Modi called Prambanan a symbol of the common cultural heritage of Indonesia and India.

This was conveyed by Modi in a joint statement with President Prabowo at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday, July 7. According to Modi, the Prambanan Temple, which has stood for more than a thousand years, has a special meaning for the relationship between the two countries.

"Tomorrow, together with President Prabowo, I will have the opportunity to launch the Prambanan Temple conservation project in Yogyakarta," said Modi.

Modi called Prambanan part of a long trail of cultural ties between India and Indonesia. Therefore, the conservation of the temple is not only seen as a matter of preserving historic buildings, but also a marker of the closeness of the civilizations of the two nations.

"The Prambanan temple, which has stood for more than a thousand years, is a symbol of the common cultural heritage of India and Indonesia," Modi said.

Apart from Prambanan, Modi also touched on plans to commemorate the centenary of Rabindranath Tagore's visit to Indonesia. Tagore is an Indian poet, thinker, and educational figure who is widely known in the world.

Modi associated Tagore with Ki Hajar Dewantara. According to Modi, Ki Hajar Dewantara's thoughts on education were deeply influenced by Tagore's ideas.

"His thoughts on education were deeply influenced by the ideas of Rabindranath Tagore," Modi said.

Therefore, India and Indonesia will commemorate this historical momentum through cultural cooperation and educational diplomacy inspired by Tagore and Dewantara.

Modi said education plays an important role in Indonesia's development journey. He also mentioned that Ki Hajar Dewantara made an extraordinary contribution in the field of education.

This series of cultural cooperation complements Modi's major agenda for his visit to Indonesia. Beyond the issues of defense, maritime, health, food, and technology, India brings cultural pathways as a closer connection with the community.

For Indonesia and India, cultural relations are not new. However, the Prambanan conservation project and the Tagore-Dewantara commemoration have made the relationship once again a place in the high-level diplomacy agenda.

Modi said the two countries share a common cultural heritage in history, a common belief in the present, and a common aspiration for the future.

"I am confident that together we will realize the vision of Golden Indonesia and Viksit Bharat or a prosperous India," Modi said.