CANDI BOROBUDUR

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur temple is located in Magelang, Central Java, about 40 km from Yogyakarta. Borobudur has 10 levels consisting of six levels of a square, 3 levels of a circular and a main stupa as the peak. At each level there are several stupas. Altogether there are 72 stupas in addition to the main stupa. In every stupa there is a statue of Buddha. Ten levels of Buddhist philosophy the ten levels of Bodhisattva who must pass to reach the perfection of the Buddha in nirvana. This perfection is symbolized by the main stupa at the top level. Borobudur structure when viewed from above form a mandala structure that describes the Buddhist cosmology and human thinking.

  

On the fourth side there is a temple gate and stairs to the level above it like a pyramid. This illustrates the Buddhist philosophy that all life came from rocks. Stone became sand, then a plant and then into an insect, then a wild animal and pets, and the last to be human. This process is known as reincarnation. The final process is to be the soul and finally into nirvana. Each stage in the process of enlightenment is based on the Buddhist philosophy of life depicted in the reliefs and sculptures in the entire temple of Borobudur.

This huge building just a giant pile of stone blocks which have a total height of 42 meters. Each stone spliced without using cement or adhesive. These stones are only connected by the pattern and stacked. The base of Borobudur Temple is about 118 m on each side. The stones are used approximately 55 000 cubic meters. All the stone was taken from the river around Borobudur. These stones are cut and spliced and transported to a pattern like lego games. All without using glue or cement.

While the relief began to be made after the completion of rocks stacked and connected. Reliefs found on the temple walls. Borobudur has 2670 different relief. Relief is read clockwise. This relief depicts a story that I read it starts and ends at the gate to the east. This suggests that the main gate of the Borobudur temple facing east like most other Buddhist temples.

Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprise 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. The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument which ascends to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness).

Vesak celebration at Borobudur

Every year on the full moon in May (or June in leap years), of Buddhists in Indonesia commemorating Vesak at Borobudur. Vesak is celebrated as the day of birth, death and the time when Siddhartha Gautama obtained the highest wisdom to become the Buddha Shakyamuni. The third event is called Vesak Trisuci. Vesak ceremony centered at three Buddhist temples by walking from the Mendut Pawon and ending at Borobudur.

On the eve of Vesak, especially during the peak moment of full moon, Buddhists gathered around Borobudur. At that time, Borobudur is believed to be a gathering place of supernatural powers. According to belief, during Vesak, the Buddha will appear in a look at the top of a mountain in the south.

Currently, Borobudur has become a tourist attraction which attracts both local and foreign tourists. In addition, the Borobudur Temple has become a holy place for Buddhists in Indonesia and became the center of the most important annual celebration of the Buddhist Vesak.

Borobudur be one proof of the greatness and the human intellect has ever made in Indonesia. Borobudur became a major cultural tourism and in Indonesia other than Bali and Jakarta. After visiting Borobudur, you can also visit the surrounding villages like Karanganyar which has some interesting sights.

The monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades. Evidence suggest Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century and 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.