Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia has received a replica of the Nalanda Copperplate Inscription from the Government of India, which has been placed at the Muarajambi Museum within the Muarajambi National Cultural Heritage Area.Minister of Culture Fadli Zon said the handover was significant in strengthening Indonesia’s historical narrative, particularly the link between Muarajambi and past centers of learning and global civilization.“This inscription clearly connects Muarajambi with Nalanda, Srivijaya, the Syailendra Dynasty and the Pala Dynasty in India. It is not merely an artifact, but concrete evidence that the Muarajambi region has been an important hub of international scientific, religious and cultural networks since the ninth century,” he said in a statement on Friday.The replica was handed over by the Indian government to the Indonesian government on the sidelines of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage session held in New Delhi on Dec. 9, 2025.The handover followed intensive cultural diplomacy efforts by Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture, including a bilateral ministerial-level meeting during President Prabowo Subianto’s state visit to India earlier in January.Meanwhile Director General of Cultural Diplomacy, Promotion and Cooperation Endah T.D. Retnoastuti said the replica represents not only a physical reproduction of the inscription but also a shared commitment by both countries to preserve, safeguard and revive a civilizational heritage dating back more than a thousand years.She said the initiative also supports Indonesia’s efforts to strengthen Muarajambi’s position on UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites, which was updated in 2025, as a step toward its formal nomination.Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakravorty said the Nalanda Copperplate Inscription, dated to 860 CE and written in Sanskrit using the Devanagari script, records a land grant of five villages in the Rajgir region and one village in the Gaya region by King Devapaladeva of the Pala Dynasty at the request of King Balaputradewa of Suwarnadwipa.He said the inscription documents provisions for the maintenance of a stupa as well as support for Indonesian monks who studied and translated manuscripts at Nalanda.