New Delhi, 22 March (H.S.):

Secretary (East) P Kumaran of the Ministry of External Affairs visited the world‑renowned Ta Prohm Temple in Cambodia on Sunday, 22 March 2026, to review the progress of ongoing conservation and restoration work at the site. The visit was specifically aimed at assessing the implementation of preservation measures being carried out under India’s cultural‑heritage cooperation programme with Cambodia.

The restoration of Ta Prohm Temple is being led by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as part of long‑standing bilateral efforts to protect Southeast Asian heritage. Two phases of the conservation project have already been completed successfully, and the third phase is currently underway, focusing on further structural strengthening and detailed preservation of sculptural and architectural elements.

Officials note that this initiative not only reflects India’s commitment to safeguarding Southeast Asia’s cultural legacy but also deepens the civilisational and people‑to‑people ties between the two countries.

India was the first nation to extend technical and financial assistance to Cambodia in the 1980s for the conservation of Angkor Wat, the vast temple complex to which Ta Prohm belongs. ASI’s work on the main Angkor Wat monument between 1986 and 1993 set the foundation for its later assignment to restore Ta Prohm.

Ankor Wat, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and Ta Prohm, a Mahayana Buddhist monument built by King Jayavarman VII, together form key nodes in the massive Angkor archaeological park.

Both sites have been under Indian‑led conservation or advisory support since the late twentieth century, underscoring India’s sustained role in preserving one of the world’s most important heritage clusters.

The continued ASI‑Cambodia collaboration on Ta Prohm is viewed as a concrete sign of this enduring partnership.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar