Music meets history in Indonesia...

Popular Sri Lankan singer Umaria Sinhawansa and journalists visiting Borobudur Temple, the world’s largest Buddhist monument, during an official visit to Indonesia. Borobudur, built between AD 780 and 840, showcases Gupta architecture influenced by India with unique Indonesian elements.

Covering a total surface area of around 2,500 m² in the Kedu Valley, Central Java, the monument is a marvel of design, decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally 504 Buddha statues. The temple was constructed without using any cement or mortar, resembling massive interlocking Lego blocks held together without glue. Borobudur’s architecture and stonework have no equal, leading to its listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Also, the group visited the Prambanan Temple, the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia, built in the 9th century AD. Located on Java island, Prambanan, also known as Rara Jonggrang, is dedicated to the Trimurti—the three main Hindu gods: Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer). According to the Siwagrha inscription, the original name of the temple complex is Siwagrha (Sanskrit for 'House of Shiva'), and the main room houses a three-meter-high statue of Shiva Mahadewa.

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Colombo, Sri Lanka, organized the visit from June 19th–27th, 2024, to promote tourism between the two countries.