Klaten, Central Java. President Prabowo Subianto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the ancient Hindu complex of Prambanan Temple in the Central Java town of Klaten on Wednesday after Indonesia and India agreed to cooperate on restoring the ninth-century UNESCO World Heritage site.

The two leaders first surveyed the sprawling temple complex from a presidential helicopter before traveling overland from Adisutjipto Air Base in Yogyakarta for a closer inspection.

Roads leading to Prambanan were decorated with traditional yellow palm-leaf ornaments, while schoolchildren lined the route waving Indonesian and Indian flags. At one point, Prabowo stood through the roof hatch of his presidential vehicle to greet residents gathered along the roadside.

The leaders later toured the temple grounds in a buggy driven by Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.

Within the sacred complex, Prabowo and Modi briefly met Hindu worshippers who were performing prayers. Modi greeted them warmly before the two leaders continued to the site designated for the restoration project.

The visit marked the final official engagement of Modi's state visit to Indonesia, which began on July 6.

As Indonesia's largest Hindu temple complex and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Prambanan stands as one of Southeast Asia's most important archaeological monuments. Its intricate reliefs depicting the Ramayana and Mahabharata illustrate centuries of cultural exchange between the Indian subcontinent and the Indonesian archipelago.

Earlier, Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakravorty said the restoration project would be carried out jointly by Indonesia's Ministry of Culture, the Indonesian Heritage Institute, and the Archaeological Survey of India.

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