Borobudur

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist monument in the world. It is located about 25 miles outside of Jogyakarta. It was the first stop on our all day tour to Borobudur, Mt. Merapi and Prambanan. Kind of interesting that the most visited tourist attraction in a Muslim dominated country is a Buddhist monument. Our tour guide was actually a Muslim woman who was very knowledgeable about Borobudur. Borobudur was recently closed for two months after the eruption of Mt. Merapi. About one inch of ash from the volcano covered the monument. You can see workers are cleaning the monument still, 5 months later. Borobudur was put together using interlocking bricks. Two bricks were set side by side and another bricked locked them together. This interlocking brick system is also shown in one of the pictures below. Here is a short synopsis of Borobudur from Wikipedia.

Borobudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa(a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics).

Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.

There is no written record of who built Borobudur or of its intended purpose. The construction time has been estimated by comparison between carved reliefs on the temple's hidden foot and the inscriptions commonly used in royal charters during the 8th and 9th centuries. Borobudur was likely founded around 800 AD. This corresponds to the period between 760 and 830 AD, the peak of the Sailendra dynasty in central Java, when it was under the influence of the Srivijayan Empire. The construction has been estimated to have taken 75 years and been completed during the reign of Samaratungga in 825.


























Interlocking brick system used to put Borobudur together.








Our guide pointed out how Alex's tightly curled hair is just like Buddha's.









The Stupas on the top 3 levels of Borobudur.













There is a Buddha statue inside each Stupa.



Touching the bricks at this level brings good luck.




















Borobudur with Mt. Merapi in the background.