Jakarta | Emphasising that cultural legacy connects people from different geographies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday thanked Indonesia and its people for preserving the "grand heritage" of Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta.
In his address later, while visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, he also said it was his honour to be part of the inauguration of a joint conservation project for the temple complex.
In his remarks, the Prime Minister addressed the Indonesian leader as "friend, President Prabowo", and the warmth between the two leaders was visible throughout the visit to the Prambanan Temple complex, signified by cordial handshakes, waving of their hands at the gathering and a warm hug towards the end of the visit to the heritage site.
By visiting this place with "friend, President Prabowo", this occasion has become special for me, Modi said.
The centuries-old Prambanan Temple Compound, located approximately 17 kilometres northeast of Yogyakarta city, is considered Indonesia's largest Hindu temple.
Built in the 10th century, this is the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia.
"In conversations I hear, the winds here carry a scent of culture. That scent which we feel every moment on the soil of India. This scent, this cultural heritage, connects us," Modi said.
"1200 years..I thank the people here (in Indonesia)..the way they have preserved this grand heritage, and maintained it, and done it with a devotional faith. So, I also wholeheartedly greet people of Indonesia and all the rulers (of Indonesia) who have been, so far," he said.
The visit to the historic site by the two leaders came a day after India and Indonesia exchanged a Letter of Intent to start the project on conservation and restoration of the temple complex with assistance from India.
"I saw chants of 'Mahamrityunjay' and 'Om Namah Shiva' being offered in this temple; this indeed touched the heart.
"As we begin the conservation and restoration work at Prambanan Temple complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage, I am very assured that Indian tourists will definitely visit this place," he said.
Modi landed in Jakarta on Monday to a red-carpet welcome in the first leg of his three-nation tour -- that will also cover Australia and New Zealand -- to shore up cooperation in sectors such as trade, security and rare-earth minerals under the framework of the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of 2018.
While delivering his remarks, PM Modi, alongside President Prabowo, stood at their podiums, with the spires of the grand temple in the backdrop.
A new plaque bearing -- Indonesia-India Collaborative Cultural Heritage Conservation for Prambanan Temple' was placed between their podiums.
"In far-off places of the world, wherever we go, we witness the cultural heritage of India. In South East Asia, this is the second largest identity of our heritage. This temple has statues of Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, and Lord Ganesha. For centuries, people have offered worship at this temple, and today I, too had the fortune to visit this temple and offer prayers at this temple," the prime minister said.
Rising above the centre of the last of these concentric squares are three temples decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana, dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities (Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma) and three temples dedicated to the animals who serve them, according to the UNESCO website.
Modi, in his remarks delivered at the joint press meet in Jakarta on Tuesday, said, "Tomorrow, I will have the privilege of joining President Prabowo in Yogyakarta to launch the conservation project for the Prambanan Temple. More than a thousand years old, the Prambanan Temple stands as a timeless symbol of the shared cultural heritage of India and Indonesia." He described the experience of visiting the temple complex as a "'Chaitanyapurn chhann' (a moment imbued with a sense of divinity".
"I prayed to the Almighty for strengthening the India-Indonesia friendship, for the welfare of citizens of the two countries, and for swift development of the two nations, and offered worship with devotional faith," the PM said.
The joint conservation project, in which the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be the lead agency from the Indian side, and the visit by PM Modi and President Prabowo to the iconic temple complex in the Yogyakarta region, also reflected the emphasis New Delhi puts on cultural diplomacy in boosting bilateral ties with its partners.
Modi said he was confident that President Prabowo, who plans everything methodically, will ensure completion of this project before the stipulated time.
He has sought a promise that this will be done before 2029, and that "I will have to visit again. I assure you that I will definitely come here and celebrate that festival with you after the conversation," the PM said.
Modi was visiting Indonesia from July 6-8, and the next leg of his visit is to Australia.
"For the grand welcome, hospitality, and warmth extended to me during this visit, on behalf of 140 crore people of India and from myself, I extend my gratitude to you. Thank you very much," Modi concluded his address, as he and President Prabowo hugged each other, the gesture reflecting the enduring cultural bonds between India and Indonesia.