The Greatest Buddhist
Monument in the World
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| UNESCO On the Top of Borobudur, Central Java |
Sizing, beauty and story of Borobudur are really amazing. Today Indonesia is the largest Islamic country in the world; however this monument is the magnet drawing people around the world to Central Java enormously.
Borobudur in Brief
This UNESCO WHS was built since 9th
Century during the Sailendra dynasty in Central
Java. We don’t know who the builder is.
The temple was
designed in Javanese Buddhist architecture. It is the Mahayana Buddhist Temple which consists of 3 divisions by nine stacked platforms, six
squares and three circulars, topped by a central dome. The temple is decorated
with relief panels and Buddha
statues. The central dome is surrounded by Buddha statues, each seated inside a
stupa.
The monument's 3
divisions symbolize the 3 "realms" of Buddhist cosmology, as the
world of desires, the world of
forms, and finally the formless
world. Central dome on the top is represented
as the enlightened stage (Nirvana), liberated from all forms of cycle of life.
Borobudur was
abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam. In 1814, it was rediscovered by Sir Thomas
Stamford Raffles, the British Ruler. Borobudur has
since been preserved through several restorations.
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| UNESCO Borobudur in the Morning, Central Java |
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| Bas-Reliefs and Decorative Stones, Borobudur |
My Visit
I booked “Borobudur Sun Rise Tour”
from Tour Desk at my hostel in Yogyakarta. This is the right decision. We can
avoid hot sun in daytime and enjoy the monument among a few tourists and fresh
air in the morning.
The park is large and
we have to walk from the entrance, pass the green ground to the monument.
Borobudur located on the plain with the backdrop of volcanic mountain range,
providing fantastic view and sacred feeling.
Borobudur is older and
smaller than Angkor Wat in Cambodia, its size is suitable for 2-hrs exploring. The
crafted reliefs on the panels are well depicted; the floor planning is good
design. I felt less exhausted than I expected, due to the platforms are not too
steep. Javanese Buddhist
architecture is simple but gorgeous, volcanic
stones giving the sleek mood and strong.
View on the top of Borobudur is awesome;
I practiced meditation. This is one of the greatest moments in my life.
Hopefully, next time here, I would do clockwise walking meditation starting
from the first step and proceed until reaching the top platform.
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