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orkers started to clean volcanic ash from the grounds of Borobudur temple on Monday, despite the chance of more eruptions from nearby Mount Merapi.

Suraji, spokesman of temple manager PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan & Ratu Boko, said the clean-up was needed to stop volcanic ash from damaging the temple.

The decision was taken to ensure the safety of the structure of the 1,200-year-old temple, he said.

“Volcanic ash can easily corrode the temple’s stones. That’s why we could not wait any longer to start cleaning up the temple,” Suraji told The Jakarta Post.

Located 35 kilometers from Mt. Merapi, the temple has been covered by a thick layer of ash since Friday, one day after the volcano erupted and spewed ash onto several neighboring cities, including Magelang.

On Monday, the company sent dozens of employees from its headquarters in Yogyakarta to help workers at Borobudur clean the 80-hectare park that encircles the temple.

The temple itself appeared untouched when observed on Monday.

The management said expert officers from the local archaeological conservation bureau would start cleaning ash from the temple on Tuesday.

“The temple can only be cleaned by authorized personnel,” said Ruri, a worker at the temple.

“They must clean the temple’s stones first with a special brush before spraying water.”

Borobudur, built in eighth century by the Sailendra dynasty, is the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

It is the country’s main tourist attraction and is visited by more than 2 million local and international tourists every year. It was once acclaimed as one of the world’s seven wonders.

The temple features a staggering 2,672 relief panels, many exquisitely detailed, as well as 504 statues of Buddha. At the summit, a gigantic central stupa rests on a massive lotus-shaped base a half-meter thick.

Experts have repeatedly expressed concern on damage to the temple from acid rain that has damaged some of its carvings and from global warming, which might produce fissures and cracks in the temple’s stones.

The management company previously closed the temple to the public due to ash on the temple grounds.

Suraji said that the management had not yet decided when the temple would be reopened.

“We need to stop visitors from entering the temple site since their shoes might easily scratch the temple’s stones, which are still covered in ash,” he said.

Falling ashes has also plagued nearby towns.

In Deyangan village, 35 kilometers from Mt. Merapi, local resident Parlan said no local officials had given residents masks — despite an endless rain of ash over the last four days.

“We have no choice except to buy masks from mobile vendors. However, we can’t expect them to be here when our masks are broken,” the 70-year-old grandfather said.

The village is outside Merapi’s danger zone, which is currently set at a 20-kilometer radius around the volcano. However, clouds of volcanic ash have destroyed trees and fields in the village, forcing residents indoors.

“I asked our community health center to prepare extra masks for residents but they said they didn’t have a budget for it,” Kasmudi, a community unit chief, said.

Motorists on the village’s streets proceeded slowly since the volcanic ash has reduced visibility to less than 5 meters.

Near Borobudur, dozens of residents, including women and teenagers, spent Monday morning cleaning the village’s main road of ash, some scooping ash from the ground while others sprayed water.

“Today, we are targeting to clean up a 500-meter section of the road,” Puji Murtono, a resident, said.