BOROBUDUR nation's heritage

Borobudur Buddhist statues and Mount Manoreh
courtesy ©2008 Renee Scipio

Borobudur Temple is a Buddhist temple, Borobudur is situated in the village of Magelang regency, Central Java, was built by King Samaratungga, one of the kings of ancient Mataram Kingdom, Dynasty dynasty descendants. The name Borobudur is a combination of words and Budur Bara. Coals from Sanskrit means temple or monastery. While Budur derived from the word meaning beduhur above, thereby Borobudur means monastery on the hill. While according to other sources, means a mountain having terraces (budhara), while other sources said that Borobudur means monastery on the heights.

Stupa Candi Borobudur ©2009 arie saksono

Borobudur punden staircase-shaped building consists of 10 levels, measuring 123 x 123 meters. Height of 42 meters and 34.5 meters before it was renovated after the renovation because the lowest level was used as a drag. This Buddhist temple has 1460 relief panels and 504 Buddha effigies in its complex. Six lowest level square and the upper three circular form, and the highest level in the form of a Buddhist stupa facing westward.
Each level represents the stages of human life. In accordance schools of Mahayana Buddhism, every person who wants to reach the level of the Buddha must through every level of life is.

     Kamadhatu, the base of Borobudur, symbolizing man who is still bound by lust.
     Rupadhatu, four levels above it, symbolizing human beings that have set themselves free from lust but still tied to appearance and shape. At that level, put a statue of Buddha is open.
     Arupadhatu, three levels above where Buddha placed inside perforated stupa. It symbolizes man who was freed from lust, appearance, and shape.
     Arupa, the very top that symbolizes nirvana, where Buddha is residing.

Each terrace has reliefs that will be read coherently runs clockwise (towards the left of the entrance of the temple). In the reliefs of Borobudur tells of a legendary story, a variety of story content, among others there are reliefs of the Hindu epic Ramayana, there are also reliefs Jataka stories. In addition, there are relief panels depicting the condition of society at that time. For example, the relief of farmers' activity reflecting the advance of agriculture system and relief of sailing boat representing the advance of the time shipping was centered in Bergotta (Semarang).