Vientiane: In a remarkable step towards the deepening of India-Laos ties, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun the restoration work of the fifth-century 'Wat Phou' Hindu Temple to showcase the shared culture between the two countries that spread throughout the Southeast Asian region thousands of years ago. The Wat Phou temple in Laos is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
UNESCO has described the temple complex as shaped to express the Hindu vision of the relationship between nature and humanity. Moreover, two planned cities on the banks of the Mekong River are also part of the site, as well as Phou Kao Mountain. The Wat Phou temple represents a development ranging from the 5th to 15th centuries, mainly associated with the Khmer Empire.
According to Ashok Kumar, Assistant Engineer of the ASI team in Laos, the Wat Phou temple was built for Lord Shiva in the fifth century, and the structures of the site include mythological scriptures of Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. However, it was turned into a Buddhist temple with the spread of Buddhism in Southeast Asia.
ASI's development work in Wat Phou temple
Kumar told India TV that the ASI team actually arrived in Laos in 2005 and inspected the site before beginning the actual process of conservation. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed for the restoration of the temple in Laos in 2007 between the two countries and the ASI began work in 2009.
Phase one of the conservation process at the Wat Phou temple began in 2007 and concluded in 2017 at a cost of Rs 17 crore, while the second phase was held from 2018 to 2028 at a cost of Rs 24 crore. Kumar said several 'Shivalingas' had been found in the temple courtyard, along with a broken statue of the Shiva family.
"From 2009, every year the ASI team comes here for 6-7 months and it is difficult to work here in the rainy season. For the last 15 years, we have been restoring the Wat Phou temple complex... The restoration has largely been completed in the northern palace, and the ASI has restored two galleries in the southern palace. The work is going on in one gallery... We are carrying on the work till 2028," Yogesh Raja, a Senior Conservationist ASI, told India TV.
India-Laos relations
Notably, India and Laos share a lot of similarities in their respective cultures and heritages, along with issues of mutual interest in international forums. The two nations enjoy warm and friendly ties characterised by the exchange of regular visits at all levels. Prominent among other forms of age-old civilisational ties between the two countries include the Buddha encased in the That Luang Stupa, the national emblem of Laos.
Laos remains landlocked with China as its northern neighbour, and Vietnam lies to the country's northeast and east. South of Laos is Cambodia while Thailand is on its west and Myanmar lies on its northwest. Laos is a part of India's extended neighbourhood as only Myanmar separates Laos from India's North East.
