Story so far: “The winds here carry a scent of culture, a scent which connects us and we feel every moment on the soil of India,” waxed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) when he visited the 1200-year-old Prambanan Temple complex in Indonesia’s Yogyakarta. The visit was preceded by the announcement of India-Indonesia’s joint conservation project to restore the shrine.  Located 17 km northeast of Yogyakarta city, the 10th-century shrine has three temples dedicated to the divine Hindu trinity – Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, as well as three temples to their ‘vahanas’ – hamsa (swan) for Brahma, the garuda (eagle) for Vishnu and the nandi (bull) for Shiva. With reliefs depicting scenes from the Ramayana. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the complex houses two groups of buildings – Hindu temples including Prambanan and Buddhist temples including Sewu with its four pairs of Dwarapala giant statues.   Totaling 508 stone temples of various shapes and sizes in either complete condition or in ruins, the complex is home to both the largest Hindu and Buddhist temple in Indonesia. Immediately after Indonesia became independent in 1945, restoration of the temples, ravaged by earthquakes, began and was completed only in 1953. Cultural significance of Prambanan temple to India Built by King Rakai Pikatan to reportedly rival the adjacent Buddhist temple complex Borobudur, built …