Vat Phou Temple Restoration Highlights India-Laos Cultural Ties

via The News Mill, 03 July 2024: India is leading the restoration of the Vat Phou UNESCO World Heritage site in Laos, strengthening cultural ties between the two nations. This collaboration, spearheaded by the Archaeological Survey of India, aims to preserve the ancient Hindu temple and its historical significance.

‘Vat Phou’ is an ancient Hindu temple, for the restoration of which, a team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) from India came in 2005 and inspected the site. The actual process of conservation was started later in 2009 physically at the site.
“A team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) from India came in 2005, and they inspected the site. And then, an MoU was signed between India and the Lao PDR government in 2007 on the subject of the temple’s conservation, and in 2009, actual conservation started physically on site,” Ashok Kumar, lead ASI conservation team of Vat Phou told ANI.

“The phase one of conservation was from 2007 to 2017, which concluded. And soon after, the second phase was held from 2018 to 2028,” he said.

Source: Restoration of UNESCO world heritage site Vat Phou showcases India-Laos shared culture

See also:

• India In Lao PDR: Conserving History, Culture And Connect | Times Now World, 05 Jul 2024