The Magnificent Borobudur Temple: World Largest Buddhist Temple

Photo by Mike van Schoonderwalt on pexels

Have you ever heard about Borobudur Temple? Borobudur temple is quite famous throughout the world as the largest Buddhist temple in the world. On this occasion, I will give a brief introduction regarding Borobudur temple, starting from the splendour of the building, its history, and the things you need to know before visiting the holy place.

Borobudur Temple which located in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia, was the first Indonesian cultural monument on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. The complexity, uniqueness, and artistic value contained in its architectural arrangement made Borobudur Temple deserve to be included in the prestigious list.

The splendour of Borobudur temple:

In 1814, after having been buried by volcanic ash for a long time, Candi Borobudur was rediscovered again. Borobudur was brought back to its glory days by the Indonesian government and UNESCO in the 1970s. After undergoing an eight-year repair, Borobudur is one of Indonesia's and the world's most precious assets today.

Borobudur Temple, located in southern Central Java, is a massive structure measuring 123 x 123 meters that rise over the Kedu Valley.

There are a total of 2672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues adorning Borobudur Temple, each of which is posed in a different one of six different meditation postures and is arranged in accordance with the temple's layout. In addition, the Borobudur temple's stones were assembled without the use of any adhesives such as cement or mortar. Instead, every piece of rock is just precisely arranged to fit properly into the others and create a solid interlocking.

The structure of the Borobudur temple is robust. This is also the main reason why the temple has stood majestically since the 9th century and is still standing today.

The Gupta style of the temple's design shows India's influence on the area, but it also has enough materials that give Borobudur its identity as an Indonesian temple. The carvings that exist amid the majesty of this Borobudur temple are more than just carvings/ Instead, they contain countless stories.

The thousands of relief panels comprising Borobudur's temple show four primary stories: the Karmawibangga, Lalitawistara, Jataka/Awadana, and Gandawyuha. In general, the existing reliefs tell about the teachings of Buddha and his life journey. Also, the Borobudur temple's reliefs reveal the development of the Javanese people at the time.

Borobudur Temple History

Photo by Mario La Pergola on Unsplash

According to the gramedia.com article, the true history of the Borobudur temple is still shrouded in a number of competing stories. History believes that the Borobudur temple was constructed in 750-842 AD by the government of the Syailendra dynasty. Likewise, the building process was lengthy because it was completed in phases and required the collaboration of many people.

The Borobudur temple was constructed for the sake of Buddhism and is a testament to the religion's sanctity. In each of its reliefs, Borobudur Temple represents the journey of the Buddha and becomes a symbol of the relationship between a king and his people.

Things you need to know before visiting Candi Borobudur:

Photo by Herry Sutanto on Unsplash

The Borobudur Temple is an incredibly well-kept cultural landmark with enormous open space, stunning architecture, and excellent cleanliness. Unfortunately, because it is in a hilly area, you must climb stairs to get to the courtyard of the Borobudur temple. For those who bring strollers, you don't need to worry; strollers can take a special path here.

When you enter this cultural site, you will be presented with a paved area and also a large green park. You can follow the existing road directions to get to the main area of Borobudur temple. Along your way to the temple's main area, you'll see souvenir vendors and Borobudur-specific trinkets on your journey to the temple's main complex. You will also be offered umbrella rental services because the sun is hot here during the day.

If you can't go inside Borobudur temple, at least you may walk around the outside of it in the courtyard. From here, you can admire Borobudur's beauty and take some pictures. Even though your cellphone camera is advanced, there's nothing wrong with hiring photography services from those around the temple area. You can take pictures and receive the printout right away!

On your way to the exit gate, you will pass the attraction of feeding the elephants. You will also be offered the shuttle bus service to get around the area, only by paying IDR 20,000 per person or IDR 25,000 per person (depending on which bus you take). So make sure you try all the attractions here before you get home.

Learn More

When you visit Borobudur Temple, using the services of a guide is a wise investment. They will show you where to go and tell you about the temple's history and other essential facts. Going to the Borobudur temple without learning anything about it will be a waste.

You can also go to a place called the "information centre" if you want to find out about something.

Exploring the Candi Borobudur Temple

Photo by Han Sen on pexels

It's different from the old days when visitors could freely explore the temple complex and walk up and down every flight of stairs to examine the artwork. Now, red borders surround each door at the temple's base, and visitors are no longer permitted to enter.

This may be very disappointing, but the government implements this rule to maintain the sustainability of this historic place. Even if you want to go up to Borobudur temple, you have to pay IDR 1,400,000 per person for foreign tourists and IDR 700,000 per person for local tourists.

Photo by Alain Bonnardeaux on Unsplash

When we were allowed to explore the temple's area, we can do a ritual called Pradaksina, in which we walked clockwise around the Borobudur temple area after entering from the east door. Once we're at the beginning, we can move on to the next floor. This is necessary to follow the plot carved in the Borobudur temple.

Rules on Candi Borobudur you need to know

Photo by Eugenia Clara on Unsplash

• There is a limit of 4000 visitors per day. You can buy online if you don't want to run out of tickets.

*People haven't been able to go up to the temple since the middle of 2020. So, you can only get to the temple's courtyard. This rule may still be in place, and you may have to pay more if you want to go up to the temple.

• Every 12.00 - 13.00 WIB, visitors are expected not to enter the courtyard of Borobudur Temple.

• On Mondays, people can't go into the courtyard of the Borobudur Temple either. So, you can only go as far as where the fence stood.

• Food and drinks from outside are not allowed. Except the mineral water is good.

• There are different rules for photographers and people with large cameras.

• Only cars and buses can park in the available lots. If you have a motorcycle, you can leave it at a local person's house or one of the shops in the area.

Final thoughts

The Borobudur Temple is stunning, and the surrounding greenery is a sight to behold. Borobudur Temple is still a popular attraction for those travelling to Magelang, Jogja, or any of the nearby areas.

Even though visitors can now not enter Borobudur Temple, this regulation has not discouraged people from visiting this site. Some even take continuous trips to the graceful Prambanan Temple Complex.

So, how about you? Are you still interested in visiting the Magnificent Borobudur Temple?