Fadli Zon Reveals the Complexity of the Prambanan Restoration, 218 Perwara Temples Are Still Ruins

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon revealed the level of complexity of the restoration of the Prambanan Temple. (Photo: Rusman/Presidential Secretariat Press Office)

SLEMAN - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon revealed the level of complexity of the restoration of the Perwara Prambanan Temple. Of the 224 Perwara Temples in the Prambanan Temple complex, only 6 have been fully restored.

Fadli conveyed this when accompanying President Prabowo Subianto to receive a state visit from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Prambanan Temple area, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Wednesday, July 8.

The conservation and restoration cooperation is titled Indonesia India Collaborative Culture Heritage Conservation. This program involves the Ministry of Culture, the Indonesian Heritage Agency, and the Archaeological Survey of India or ASI.

The program will run for 10 years. The first phase is focused on 54 Candi Perwara in the northeast quadrant of the Prambanan Temple complex.

Fadli said the Perwara Temple is a small companion temple that is arranged in four rows surrounding the main Prambanan temple. The number reaches 224 temples.

"Of the 224 perwara temples, only 6 have been fully restored, while the other 218 are still in ruins," said Fadli.

According to Fadli, the restoration work is not simple. Thousands of original andesite blocks are still scattered, buried, or mixed at various points in the Prambanan area.

This condition makes the team have to work carefully. The original stone needs to be identified, matched, then rearranged according to the principle of authenticity.

"The limitations of a comprehensive documentation method, the mixing of stones from different temple structures, and the loss of a number of original components make the restoration of the Prambanan temple as one of the most complex anastilosis works," he said.

Anastilosis is a method of restoring historic buildings by reconstructing the original parts that are still left. In the case of Prambanan, the challenge is big because many stones are no longer in their original position.

Fadli said that this program prioritizes a scientific approach, exchange of expertise, and the use of the latest conservation technology. The northeast area which includes 54 Perwara Temples is expected to become a model for the next phase.

"We hope that the momentum of this visit can accelerate the realization of the restoration program, while maintaining the scientific standards, authenticity, and integrity of Prambanan as a World Heritage site," said Fadli.

In addition to physical restoration, this program includes digital documentation using LiDAR and photogrammetry. LiDAR is a mapping technology using lasers, while photogrammetry uses photos to create a three-dimensional model.

This program also includes archaeological research, structural studies, hydrology, geotechnics, human resource capacity building, and the use of artificial intelligence or AI to support digital reconstruction and technical analysis.

Fadli said Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia and one of the masterpieces of Hindu architecture in Southeast Asia. The Ramayana and Krishnayana reliefs, he said, are proof that the Nusantara and India have been in contact for centuries through the exchange of ideas, knowledge, art, and cultural values.

According to Fadli, Indonesia appreciates this cooperation because it brings together the commitment to preserve cultural heritage with India's recognized expertise in the conservation of cultural heritage.

"We hope that this cooperation will be a common heritage of Indonesia and India, and an example of how two nations can work together to preserve the world's cultural heritage for future generations," he said.