Borobudur Ancient Temple

"No other monument in the world accomplices what Borobudur does."

Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia.In Indonesian, ancient temples are known as candi; thus "Borobudur Temple" is locally known as Candi Borobudur.


Borobudur was built on a small hill in the Kedu Basin, a rich, fertile valley surrounded by spectacular volcanoes. To the east lie Merapi and Merbabu and to the north lies Sumbing and Sindoro. The unusual jagged Menoreh Hills encircle the temple to the South and West.

"Borobudur was built on a small hill in the Kedu Basin, a rich, fertile valley surrounded by spectacular volcanoes."

The temple is also located near the meeting place of two rivers, the Elo and the Progo. These rivers are believed to be symbolic of the Gangga and Yamuna, the two rivers feeding the Indus valley in India. The location was most likely chosen for its central location and expansive views. Borobudur lies directly south of Tidar Hill, a small knob on the valley floor which according to myth nailed the island of Java in place. We get a sense of the grandness of the landscape when we rise to the final terrace of the monument which opens up into a 360 degree view of the magnificent valley. This feeling of freedom and openness evokes the sense of spiritual release that occurs in Buddhist philosophy when one enters the Arupadhatu, the sphere of enlightenment which is manifested on the final terrace of the monument.

Borobudur was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 m2. No other monument in the world accomplices what Borobudur does, either in term of the sheer scale on which stone panels have been carved to tell the stories about Buddhism, in the more subjective way in which these stories, man of them highly abstract, have been represented which such great artistry. 

  

"The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 m2."

We know now that the 1.460 narrative panels on Borobudur were created to illustrate five Buddhist scriptures. Although the relief still poses many fascinating problem, scholars have solved the principal mysteries regarding the text which they are based. Various factors made it difficult to identify the stories told in the relief. Artists often depicted the same persons or objects differently in different panels, even in adjacent ones. They also avoid showing conflicts, violence or suffering – precisely the scenes that are easier to identify. The lowest level has 160 relief’s depicting the law of cause and effect; the middle level contains various stories of Buddha’s life from the Jataka Tales; the highest level has no relief’s or decoration whatsoever has a balcony, square and shape with round walls. around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. The monument was restored with UNESCO's help in the 1970s.(article source: borobudurpark)