is a Buddhist temple located in Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. This temple is located approximately 100 km to the southwest of Semarang, 86 km to the west of Surakarta, and 40 km to the northwest of Yogyakarta. This temple with many stupas was founded by Mahayana Buddhists around the year 800 AD during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty. Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple or temple in the world,[1][2] as well as one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the world.
This monument consists of six square terraces on which there are three circular courtyards, the walls are decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally there were 504 Buddha statues.[4] Borobudur has the most complete and largest collection of Buddhist reliefs in the world.[3] The largest main stupa is located in the center and at the same time crowning this building, surrounded by three circular rows of 72 perforated stupas in which there is a Buddha statue sitting cross-legged in a perfect lotus position with the Dharmachakra mudra (turning the wheel of dharma).
This monument is a model of the universe and was built as a holy place to glorify Buddha as well as function as a place of pilgrimage to guide mankind from the realm of worldly desires to enlightenment and wisdom according to Buddha's teachings. The pilgrims enter through the east side and begin the ritual at the base of the temple by walking around this sacred building in a clockwise direction, while continuing to ascend the next steps through the three levels of realms in Buddhist cosmology. The three levels are Kāmadhātu (the realm of lust), Rupadhatu (the realm of the tangible), and Arupadhatu (the realm of the intangible). On the way the pilgrims walk through a series of passages and stairs to see no less than 1,460 beautiful relief panels engraved on the walls and balustrades.
According to historical evidence, Borobudur was abandoned in the 14th century as the influence of the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms in Java weakened and the influence of Islam began to enter. The world began to realize the existence of this building since it was discovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who at that time served as the British Governor General of Java. Since then Borobudur has undergone a series of rescue and restoration efforts (repairs). The largest restoration project was carried out from 1975 to 1982 with the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and UNESCO, then this historic site was included in the list of World Heritage Sites.
Borobudur is still used as a place of religious pilgrimage; Every year Buddhists who come from all over Indonesia and abroad gather at Borobudur to commemorate the Vesak Trisuci. In the world of tourism, Borobudur is the single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia by tourists.
1. A Brief History of Borobudur Temple
According to historical records, the initial construction of Borobudur Temple occurred in the 8th and 9th centuries around 800 AD during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty.
The construction of Borobudur is predicted to take tens to hundreds of years to be completely completed during the reign of King Samaratungga in 825.
Although it was completed, there is no historical record that explains who the person who built the Borobudur temple was. The reason is, at that time Hinduism and Buddhism developed simultaneously on the island of Java.
The Syailendra dynasty was recorded as a follower of Mahayana Buddhism while around Borobudur there were also followers of Shiva's Hinduism.
A number of archaeologists suspect that the construction of Borobudur Temple underwent four renovations. Initially construction began by leveling the plains around the temple and compacting the soil with stones to form a pyramid structure.
The structure was later changed due to the addition of square and circular steps. Then, Borobudur underwent the final changes to the circular steps and the size of the foundation was widened.
The splendor of Borobudur had disappeared for centuries because it was buried under a layer of soil and volcanic ash which was then overgrown with trees and shrubs to resemble a hill.
It is not known exactly why Borobudur was abandoned by its inhabitants at that time. The theory of history leads to the eruption of Mount Merapi and the conversion of the population's beliefs from Buddhism to Islam.
The return of the fame of Borobudur Temple occurred during the time of Thomas Stamford Raffles when he served as Governor General on the island of Java in 1811. The rediscovery occurred when Raffles heard that there was a large building hidden deep in the forest near the village of Bumisegoro.
Raffles then sent a Dutch engineer named Christian Cornelius to examine it.
The news of the rediscovery of Borobudur was also a disaster for the destruction in many places. Until the late 1960s the Indonesian government asked UNESCO for help to overcome the problems at Borobudur Temple.
In the history of Borobudur Temple, its renovation took a long time and a huge expense until it was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991.
2. Unique Facts about Borobudur Temple
In addition to the interesting history and moments of the Vesak day, Borobudur Temple keeps a number of unique things including:
There are 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues, making Borobudur the owner of the most and most inverted Buddha reliefs in the world.
Theft of statues is rampant. Real Buddha head statues are often stolen and then sold in antiques, collectors, and illegal markets. Of the 504 Buddha statues, many were found in a headless condition.
Borobudur Temple was born. Two years after the 2nd restoration, January 21, 1985 as many as 13 bombs were placed in a number of small stupas. 9 of the 13 bombs exploded and destroyed hundreds of stone blocks of the stupa. Action is related to radical understanding.
The Dutch East Indies government handed over the precious statues to Thailand and England. The Dutch East Indies government at that time gave free temple artifacts in large quantities as the arrival of the Thai King Chulalongkorn II.
The Dutch East Indies government made time for a coffee shop at the top of the stupa when it was first discovered.
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