India's strategic decision to assist in the conservation of Indonesia's iconic Prambanan Temple highlights the growing role of heritage diplomacy in strengthening cultural ties across Asia. The formal launch of the 9th-century Shiva temple complex restoration project is set to be a key cultural highlight of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-nation tour to Yogyakarta this week. Managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the project adds Prambanan to an expansive international portfolio of ancient temple restorations that trace back to shared civilizational links.
India is set to strengthen its heritage conservation efforts with the development of the country's first Petroglyph Conservation Park at Sindhu Ghat in Leh, Ladakh. The initiative aims to protect centuries-old, and in some cases thousands-of-years-old, rock carvings that offer valuable insights into the region's prehistoric past.
