Borobudur temple located in Java, Indonesia is a famous Buddhist temple which dates back to the 8th and 9th centuries and is known to be among UNESCO’s world heritage sites. It is the single largest Buddhist structure anywhere on the earth and that makes it an essential pilgrim site for the Buddhists.
How to reach here
The nearest airport to the place is the Yogyakarta’s Adisucipto international airport and Solo’s Adisumarmo International Airport. Both are international airports and a few hours ride from the airport will take you to the temple complex in no time.
About
The site is open to public visits from 6AM-5PM.
The place reeks of Buddhism through every corner and there are more than a hundred little and big statues of Buddhas seated inside perforated stupas and then comes the biggest stupa of them all, located right in the center of the massive complex. The stupas have been here for more than 1200 years in total and are still standing, clearly passing the every test of time put before them.
The Buddha statues are in the universal posture in which Gautam Buddha has been seen, the Chakra parivartan mudra. However, most of the idols are in good condition but a few of them have no heads over them. The local government decided to let them be in order to ensure the authenticity of the monument. Some of the heads have been stolen while some are placed in high-end history museums across the globe.
Each of the stupas mentioned above has a lotus base, telling a lot about the ancient architectural prowess Indonesians had possessed. And the more surprising thing is that there no mortar or nails that were used in sticking the stone together. The stones have been interlocked in a certain way to give it an illusion of being mortared. There are tiny spaces here and there in the stones, giving and impression that the entire structure could fall any minute but as it happens to be the case, it hasn’t and it won’t.
At the top three levels, there are stupas, while there are circumambulation paths on the next six levels. As you walk around, you can clearly see walls around you with scriptures written on them. They talk about the life of Gautam Buddha and some of his most ardent followers.
History
The temple was built around 800 CE by the Sailendra dynasty, making it one of the oldest Buddhist monuments in the world. It has been said that it took around 75 years to make the temple. For the stone interlocked structures, the architects from all over the world were invited, and they performed a great task of merging science with architecture in order to give the world a monument that is as pleasurable to the sense as is a source of wonder.
Tip
If you are still at Borobudur during the late afternoon, at the time nearing sunset, then do not miss the experience and visit the top level for sunset. You will find the surroundings to be very quiet at this time, and the sunset view behind the mountains to the west is quite mesmerizing and magical.
Best Time to visit
The best time to visit the monument is around May to September, and you should carry water with you as there is none available at the monument.
This magnificent piece of architecture has always been a tourist magnet and will continue to do so, as long as the world keeps respecting the sheer power of architecture combined with religion.
The Borobudur Temple, located at Borobudur District, South of Magelang is not the only sight to visit. Besides Borobudur temple, the waterfall named Kedung Kayang should be on your list of things to do in Magelang. This beautiful waterfall is definitely a hidden gem for tourists and remains pretty busy with locals. Besides the waterfall, you should also check out the Setumbu Hill where you can enjoy the glorious sunrise overlooking Borobudur temple.
