Cultural heritage connect us, thank Indonesian people for preserving it: Modi at Prambanan Temple complex

Jakarta, Jul 8 (PTI) Emphasising that cultural legacy connects people from different geographies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday thanked Indonesia and it's people for preserving the "grand heritage" of Prambanan Temple complex. 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 Prambanan Temple complex. "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. PTI KND AMS