InJourney: PM Modi’s visit to attract Indian tourists to Prambanan

Yogyakarta (ANTARA) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia’s Prambanan Temple could boost arrivals from India by raising the site’s profile as a spiritual tourism destination, InJourney Chief Executive Officer Maya Watono said on Wednesday.

Modi’s visit to pray at Prambanan marked a historic moment that creates a major opportunity to attract Indian spiritual travelers, Watono said after accompanying Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to the temple.

She said India’s population of about 1.4 billion presents a significant market for Indonesia’s spiritual and religious tourism sector.

Prambanan, Indonesia’s largest Hindu temple complex and a UNESCO-listed cultural landmark, has strong potential to expand as both a spiritual destination and a cultural tourism attraction, Watono said.

She said the high-profile visit could strengthen Indonesia’s international tourism profile while generating economic benefits for communities surrounding the temple, particularly in Sleman District, Yogyakarta, and neighboring Klaten District, Central Java.

During the visit, Indonesia and India also signed an agreement that includes plans to restore subsidiary temples within the Prambanan temple complex, she said.

The restoration initiative forms part of a broader cultural heritage partnership between Indonesia and India aimed at preserving one of Southeast Asia’s most important Hindu archaeological sites.

The Prambanan complex contains 224 subsidiary temples surrounding the main sanctuary. Only six have been restored, leaving 218 structures awaiting reconstruction.

Under the partnership, about one-third of the remaining subsidiary temples will be restored, a step Watono said would accelerate the long-term conservation of the entire complex.

She said the project is expected to substantially advance preservation efforts and reinforce Prambanan’s appeal as a destination for both pilgrims and international visitors.

Watono said she hopes more than 200 subsidiary temples across the Prambanan complex can be fully restored within the next three to five years through continued cooperation between Indonesia and India.

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