New Delhi, May 28 (IANS): A monolithic sandstone Shiv Linga from the ninth-century was discovered during an on-going conservation project in the Cham Temple Complex in Vietnam -- over 5,000 kilometers from here.

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has undertaken several major conservation works across various countries of Asia, including the My Son Temple in Vietnam.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in a tweet, called the discovery a "civilisational connect" between the two Asian countries.

"Reaffirming a civilisational connect. Monolithic sandstone Shiv Linga of 9th c CE is (the) latest find in (an) ongoing conservation project. Applaud ASI team for their work at Cham Temple Complex, My Son, Vietnam. Warmly recall my visit there in 2011," he said.

Jaishankar also said it is a "great cultural example of India's development partnership."

My Son is a cluster of Hindu temples in the Quang Nam province of Vietnam constructed between the 4th and the 14th century by the Kings of Champa.

The temples are dedicated to the worship of the Hindu lord Shiva. The Cham temple complex is a part of My Son and was built in the 9th century.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the My Son temple complex is among Vietnam's most cherished cultural treasures.

The ASI is involved in conserving the temples of other countries including the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan, the Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Ta Prohm Temple in Cambodia, and the Vat Phou Temple in Laos. It is also engaged in conserving the Gandan monastery's manuscripts and their digitisation in Mongolia.