Borobudur

History

The Sailendra dynasty built the world's largest Buddhist relics between 780-840 AD. The Sailendra dynasty was the ruling dynasty of the time. This relic is built as a place of worship of Buddha and place of pilgrimage. This place contains guidance for people to abstain from the lust of the world and to Buddhist enlightenment and wisdom. This legacy was discovered by British troops in 1814 under the leadership of Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles. The temple area was completely cleaned in 1835.

Borobudur is built in a Mandala style that reflects the universe in Buddhist belief. The structure of this building is box-shaped with four entrances and a circular center point. When viewed from the outside to the inside is divided into two parts of the world of nature which is divided into three zones on the outside, and the nature of Nirvana in the central part.

Zone 1: Kamadhatu

the natural world that is visible and being experienced by humans today.

Kamadhatu consists of 160 reliefs that explain Karmawibhangga Sutra, the law of cause and effect. Describes human nature and lust, such as robbing, killing, raping, torture, and slander.

The cover cap on the bottom has been permanently opened so that visitors can see the reliefs hidden at the bottom. The entire 160 photo relief collection can be seen at the Borobudur Temple Museum located at Borobudur Archaeological Park.

Zone 2: Rupadhatu

the transitional world, in which man has been freed from world affairs.

Rapadhatu consists of stone carving relief galleries and buddha statues. In total there are 328 Buddhist statues that also have decorative reliefs on the carvings.

According to Sanskrit manuscripts in this section consists of 1300 reliefs in the form of Gandhawyuha, Lalitawistara, Jataka and Awadana. All of them stretching as far as 2.5 km with 1212 panels.

Zone 3: Arupadhatu

the supreme nature, the house of God.

The three circular foyer leads to a dome in the central part or stupa that represents the resurrection of the world. In this section there are no ornaments and ornaments, which means to describe the highest purity.

The porch in this section consists of a hollow-shaped stupa, an inverted bell, containing a Buddha statue that leads to the outside of the temple. There are 72 stupas in total. The largest stupa in the center is not as high as the original version which has a height of 42m above the ground with a diameter of 9.9m. Unlike the stupa that surrounds it, the central stupa is empty and raises the debate that there is actually content but also some that the stupa is empty.

Relief

In kesururhan there are 504 Buddhas with meditative attitudes and six different hand positions along the temple.

Temple Corridor

During the restoration in the early 20th century, found two smaller temples around Borobudur, namely Pawon Temple and Mendut Temple that line with the Borobudur Temple. Pawon temple is 1.15 km from Borobudur, while Mendut Temple is 3 km from Borobudur Temple. There is a belief that there is a religious relationship between the three temples but still not known exactly the process of ritual.

The three temples form the route for the Waisak Day Festival that is held every year during the full moon in April or May. The festival is a reminder of his birth and death, as well as the enlightenment given by Gautama Buddha.