The
magnificent Borobudur temple is the world’s biggest Buddhist
monument, an ancient site widely considered to be one of the
world’s seven wonders. Built in the 9th century during the reign
of the Syailendra dynasty, the temple’s design in Gupta
architecture reflects India's influence on the region, yet there
are enough indigenous scenes and elements incorporated to make
Borobudur uniquely Indonesian. This awe inspiring monument is
truly a marvel. After a visit here you will understand why it is
Indonesia’s most visited tourist attraction and a famous icon of
Indonesia’s cultural heritage.
Located on the island of Java, the temple sits majestically on a
hilltop overlooking lush green fields and distant hills. It
covers an enormous area, measuring 123 x 123 meters. The
monument is a marvel of design, decorated with 2,672 relief
panels and 504 Buddha statues. The architecture and stonework of
this temple has no equal. And it was built without using any
kind of cement or mortar! The structure is like a set of massive
interlocking Lego blocks held together without any glue.
The temple has remained strong even through ten centuries of
neglect. It was rediscovered in 1815, buried under volcanic ash.
In the 1970’s the Indonesian Government and UNESCO worked
together to restore Borobudur to its former majesty The
restoration took eight years to complete and today Borobudur is
one of Indonesia and the world’s most valuable treasures.
The temple is decorated with stone carvings in bas-relief
representing images from the life of Buddha. Commentators claim
that this is the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist
reliefs in the world, unsurpassed in artistic merit.
This monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place
for Buddhist pilgrimage. The ten levels of the temple symbolize
the three divisions of the religion’s cosmic system. As visitors
begin their journey at the base of the temple, they make their
way to the top of the monument through the three levels of
Budhist cosmology, Kamadhatu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu
(the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness).
As visitors walk to the top the monument guides the pilgrims
past 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the
balustrades.
The whole monument itself resembles a giant stupa, but seen from
above it forms a mandala. The great stupa at the top of the
temple sits 40 meters above the ground. This main dome is
surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.
Historians suggest that the name of Borobudur comes from the
Sanskrit ‘Vihara Buddha Uhr’ or the ‘Buddhist monastery on the
hill’.
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