Originally devoted to Lord Shiva, the ‘Vat Phou’ Hindu temple was transformed into a Buddhist temple in the 14th century and is now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It dates back to the fifth century. After striking an agreement with Laos in 2007, the ASI started restoration work in 2009.
Vientiane: The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has started restoration work on the fifth-century Hindu temple “Vat Phou” to highlight the shared cultures of the two nations that spread throughout Southeast Asia thousands of years ago. This is a significant step towards strengthening India-Laos ties. UNESCO has designated the Vat Phou temple in Laos as a World Heritage Site.
According to UNESCO, the temple complex is designed to convey the Hindu perspective on the interdependence of nature and people. The property also includes Phou Kao Mountain and two proposed settlements on the banks of the Mekong River. The Vat Phou temple is a product of development that mostly dates back to the Khmer Empire and spans the fifth to fifteenth century.
The legendary texts of Lord Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh are found inside the buildings of the Vat Phou temple, which was constructed for Lord Shiva in the fifth century, according to Ashok Kumar, Assistant Engineer of the ASI team in Laos. However, as Buddhism expanded throughout Southeast Asia, it was converted into a Buddhist temple.
ASI’s development work in Vat Phou temple
Before starting the real restoration process, Kumar informed India TV that the ASI team had actually visited Laos in 2005 and conducted an inspection of the site. The two nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2007 to restore the temple in Laos, and the ASI started work on it in 2009.
The first phase of the conservation procedure cost Rs 17 crore and ran from 2007 to 2017. The second phase, which cost Rs 24 crore, ran from 2018 to 2028. A damaged statue of the Shiva family and other “Shivalingas” have been discovered in the temple courtyard, according to Kumar.
“Every year since the ASI first arrived, we have worked here for six to seven months, and it is rather challenging to labor here during the wet season.Yogesh Raja, a Senior Conservationist at ASI, informed news agency ANI that the team has been working here for the past 15 years for a duration of 6-7 months. He said that there is still a lot of work to be done.
India-Laos relations
Notably, there are many cultural and historical parallels between India and Laos, as well as common interests in international fora. Warm and cordial relations between the two countries are characterized by frequent visits at all levels of exchange. Among the many other examples of the long-standing cultural connections between the two nations is the Buddha housed in the That Luang Stupa, which serves as Laos’ national symbol.
Laos is still a landlocked nation, bordered to the north by China and to the east and northeast by Vietnam. Cambodia is located to the south of Laos, with Myanmar to the northwest and Thailand to the west. Laos is a part of India’s wider neighborhood because the only thing separating it from India’s northeast is Myanmar.