South of Tidar hill

Welcome to Chandi Borobudur, one of the sacred buildings of Buddhism as a World Cultural Heritage site. Borobudur and its area have a noble and historical meaning for the Indonesian people, so that all eyes are amazed by the splendor and beauty of this monument. Chandi Borobudur and its area have attracted extraordinary enthusiasm from tourists, to travel and visit this building more closely.

The government has designated Chandi Borobudur as a cultural heritage that has its own historical and aesthetic value as a tourist attraction, as well as being a priority tourist destination for domestic and foreign tourists. Enjoying Borobudur thematic tourism is a form of appreciation and participation in maintaining and preserving the ancestral cultural heritage of Chandi Borobudur.

The friendly Pamong Carita will accompany and guide you to provide explanations and narratives about Borobudur and its surroundings. Introducing 'Upanat', namely special footwear worn when visiting the terraces through a corridor with a series of relief panel galleries, leading to the top of the circular upper terrace with a row of stupas at Borobudur Temple.

View of Borobudur from Dagi Hill

The beauty of Borobudur view from Dagi Hill. Borobudur is a Buddhist temple built on a hill during the reign of Samaratungga around 824 AD. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Borobudur at Glance

Borobudur or also known as Barabudur, is a sacred Buddhist temple. Mentioning the name of the Borobudur temple, comes from two words, namely the word 'bara' comes from the word 'monastery' which means a place of worship for Buddhists or temple, and the word 'budur' comes from the Balinese word 'beduhur' which means 'above' or 'hill'. So the meaning of the words 'monastery and beduhur' changed to Bara Budur, because the sound shifted to Borobudur, which means temple or monastery on a hill.

Chandi Borobudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple which consists of six square terraces and three circular terraces, and there is the largest stupa in the middle, which is surrounded by 72 perforated stupas, and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

The monument was built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty. This magnificent building is designed with Javanese Buddhist architecture, which combines native Indonesian culture, namely ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of achieving Nirvana.

Borobudur is a model of the universe and was built as a holy place to glorify Buddha as well as functioning as a place of pilgrimage to guide humanity from the realm of worldly desires to enlightenment and highest wisdom in accordance with Buddhist teachings.

Pilgrims, entering from the east side begin the ritual, walking clockwise, ascending steps through the three levels of the spiritual realm in Buddhist cosmology. The three levels are Kamadhatu (the realm of lust), Rupadhatu (the realm of form), and Arupadhatu (the realm of intangibility). Pilgrims walk through a series of passages and stairs, viewing 1,460 relief panels carved into the walls and balustrades.

According to history, Chandi Borobudur was abandoned around the 14th century, and was first rediscovered by Sir Thomas Stamfort Rafles, who served as British Governor General in Java.

History states that the beginning of the construction of Borobudur as a sacred building for Buddhists, Borobudur was used as a place of worship, religious processions with the aim for Buddhists to achieve the highest level of perfection, namely nirvana.

View of the rural community of Borobudur

The beauty of the ancient Javanese rural landscape, the way of life in the rice fields of Borobudur. Source: Borobudur Conservation Center. Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Environment of Borobudur

According to the story, it used to be said that the island of Java was floating, waving, and stumbling in the ocean, it had to be nailed to the center of the earth before it could be inhabited. The story of the great nail is becoming a hill called Tidar, located on the southern outskirts of the present city Magelang. The outstanding monument Chandi Borobudur is built.

Overlooking only about fifteen kilometers at the south of the Tidar hill, it lies the Chandi Borobudur. The area around the 'Nail of Java', its better known as the 'Kedu Plain', forms the geographical center of the island. Mentioned the extreme fertility of the soil, the very friendly and industrious inhabitants, have explained why this area is often called the 'Taman Jawa or the Garden of Java'.

Valley plain which almost on all sides bounded by the steep mountains. And as if to beautify the view, the two mountains soar into the sky: Merapi and Merbabu are in the northeast, and Sumbing and Sindoro are in the northwest.

The south-eastern corner of the plains is the only one unobstructed by mountains; at this point, the Menoreh chain turns south before reaching the foot of Merapi. And it is through this route that the waters of the Kedu region leave the plains and flow into the Indian Ocean. The Kedu Plain is intersected by two main rivers in the region: the Progo and the Elo.

The two of them walked almost parallel from north to south, forcing them to pass through a narrow but deep moat. Captured by the mountainous slopes south of the plain, the two rivers flow together, after which the Progo carries its waters to the sea along the Menoreh mountains turning south. In ancient times, the area around the confluence of the Progo and Elo rivers was a very important sacred place.

A large number of Kedu plains monuments were erected here. Hindu and Buddhist shrines, one might say, packed together within a radius of less than three kilometers from the meeting point of the two Kedu rivers. From west to east, the main Buddhist monuments in the area are: Chandi Borobudur, Chandi Pawon, Chandi Mendut and the Chandi Ngawe complexs which consists of five buildings.

The first three sanctuaries are assumed to have formed one complex as well; although standing at a considerable distance from each other, the straight line drawn from Chandi Borobudur to Chandi Mendut via Chandi Pawon shows the unity of the triads. Such a layout, however, is not found at Borobudur. Chandi Mendut is about three kilometers from Chandi Borobudur, while Chandi Pawon is about half of it.

According to oral tradition, the triad triumvirate was onceconnected by a paved processional road, flanked by lavishly decorated balustrades. Some of the carved stones found in the fields to the east of Borobudur village several decades ago are thought to be the remains of pavement. This extraordinary triune composition has given rise to much speculation about the relationship between Chandi Borobudur, Chandi Pawon and Chandi Mendut.

Chandi Borobudur has no inner room, no place to worship. Most likely it is a place of pilgrimage, where Buddhists can seek Great Wisdom. The passages around the building, which led successively to the upper terraces, were evidently meant for ritual rounds. Guided and instructed by narrative reliefs, pilgrims walk from terrace to terrace in silent contemplation. Chandi Mendut, on the other hand, is seen as a place of worship.

The small Chandi Pawon also has an inner chamber, but does not reveal what deity might have been the object of worship. The assumption that pilgrims must pass through Chandi Pawon when walking from Chandi Mendut to Chandi Borobudur from a paved processional road may suggest that Chandi Pawon is a kind of station on a long journey; after being purified through a mandatory ceremony at Chandi Mendut, Chandi Pawon allowed him to pause and reflect before continuing his pilgrimage to Chandi Borobudur where several series of journeys await.

Borobudur, Pawon and Mendut are in a straight line

Borobudur, Pawon and Mendut are imaginary corridors, roads connecting three temples. Chandi Mendut is about three kilometers from Chandi Borobudur, while Chandi Pawon is half that distance. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

The popular belief in the existence of processional routes is inconsistent with a wandering hypothesis proposed by Nieuwenkamp in 1931, that the Kedu plain was once a very large lake. He argues that Chandi Borobudur was originally in the shape of a lotus flower floating on the surface of a lake, the mythical lotus from which the future Buddha would be born. This idea was based on his discovery that the base plain of the monument depicts a rosette of lotus flowers and flower petals around a circular flower bed, while its position on a hill shows lotus flowers floating in the air.

Ancient Lake

Chandi Borobudur and its area is a World Cultural Heritage site which has noble and historical value for the Indonesian people, which makes all eyes focus on the splendor and beauty of this building. This building is for tourism and study several narrative sources about the existence of this building in the Borobudur thematic tour. Exploring the history and meaning of Borobudur, ancient lake.

Located Borobudur or Barabudur, the name comes from two words, namely the word 'bara' comes from the word 'monastery' which means a place of worship or Buddhist temple, and the word 'budur' comes from Balinese. The word 'beduhur' which means 'above' or 'hill'. Then the meaning of the words 'monastery and beduhur' changed to Bara Budur, because the sound shifted to Borobudur which means temple or monastery on a hill.

Unlike other temples which are built on flat land, Borobudur is built on a hill with a height of 265 m above sea level and 15 m above the base of an ancient lake that has dried up. The existence of this ancient lake became the subject of heated debate among archaeologists in the 20th century, and gave rise to suggestions that Borobudur was built on the edge or even in the middle of the lake.

The architectural illustration of Borobudur resembles a lotus flower. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo at arisguide.

The popular belief about the existence of a procession route does not match the hypothesis put forward by Nieuwenkamp in 1931, that the Kedu plain was once a large lake. He suggested that Chandi Borobudur was built to symbolize the lotus flower floating on the surface of the lake, the mythical lotus from which the future Buddha would be born. This idea was based on his discovery that the shape and plan of the monument depicted a rosette of lotus and flower petals around a circular flower bed, while its position on a hill, thus showing the shape of a lotus floating in the air.

Borobudur was built to symbolize a lotus flower floating on the surface of the lake. Lotus flowers in the form of padma (red lotus), utpala (blue lotus), or cumuda (white lotus) can be found in all the iconography of Buddhist religious art. Often held by Bodhisattvas as a symbol (symbol of regalia), as a seat for the Buddha's throne or as a stupa pedestal.

The decorations, both decorative and story-based, carved into the temple architecture were not carved without reason, each component has a character with a different function but is connected to depict the path to buddhahood, enlightenment and liberation from samsara.

The architectural form of Borobudur itself resembles a lotus flower, and the Buddha's posture at Borobudur symbolizes the Lotus Sutra which is usually found in Mahayana Buddhist religious texts, a Buddhist school that spread to East Asia. The three circular courtyards at the top of Borobudur are also thought to symbolize lotus flower petals.

History of Borobudur

Stepping back into the history of the existence of Chandi Borobudur, the building was abandoned and covered in volcanic ash starting around 929-1006 AD, during the reign of Rakai Sumba, this was due to several eruptive activities and earthquake natural disasters from several volcanoes. Borobudur is thought to have been buried in volcanic ash so that it was forgotten and caused the center of royal government at that time to move to East Java.

History states that when Borobudur Temple was abandoned and no longer used by Buddhists, it cannot be known for certain, but the explanation for this is more related to the move of the Ancient Mataram kingdom which was in power at that time to East Java.

Soekmono explained that during Rakai Kayuwangi's reign, the Mataram Hindu people experienced various difficulties. The power of Sanjaya and Syailendra in Central Java built large and magnificent sacred religious buildings, but weakened the energy and income of the people, because prioritizing the greatness of the king had suppressed the lives of the people.

The move of the center of the Ancient Mataram kingdom from Central Java to East Java resulted in cult buildings such as the Borobudur Temple being no longer used because their adherents abandoned them. The existence of Borobudur Temple disappeared and was not recorded in history for almost 800 years until it was finally rediscovered.

Borobudur was neglected and abandoned for approximately 800 years and was buried under layers of soil and volcanic ash, so that at that time the Borobudur temple building was inside a hill. The real reason for its abandonment is still not known for certain since when this sacred building was no longer a religious center for Buddhists.

According to ancient Javanese historical narratives, in the period between 928 and 1006, King Mpu Sindok moved the center of the Medang kingdom to the East Java area after several volcanic eruptions, however, several sources suspect that it is very possible that Borobudur began to be abandoned during this period.

The sacred building of Borobudur began to be mentioned around 1365, by Mpu Prapanca in his book Nagarakretagama, written during the Majapahit kingdom, which mentioned the existence of a "Vihara in Budur". Apart from that, Soekmono (1976) also said that this temple began to be completely abandoned since the local population converted to Islam in the 15th century. Borobudur Temple, through folklore as evidence of past glory, has become a superstitious story, associated with misfortune and suffering.

Two Javanese Chronicle books written in the 18th century mention bad luck regarding the Borobudur building. According to Babad Tanah Jawi, it explains the bad luck of the Mataram Sultanate in 1709. It mentions the "Redi Borobudur" hill. In the Babad Mataram, it explains about visiting this temple in 1757. Explains the taboo about visiting the Buddha statue in the perforated stupa.

In the period 1811 to 1816, Thomas Stamford Raffles was appointed Governor General, and had an interest in Javanese history and antique objects of ancient Javanese art, as well as making notes on the history of Javanese culture. During his inspection visit to Semarang in 1814, he was told about a large building near the village of Bumisegoro. Then due to his absence, ordered H.C. Cornelius, a Dutch engineer, to investigate the existence of this building.

In two months, Cornelius and 200 people cleaned the Borobudur buildings from bushes and layers of soil. Due to the threat of landslides, the work could not continue, then what was done in the work was reported to Raffles, including submitting various sketch drawings of the Borobudur temple. Raffles is credited with rediscovering buildings that were once lost.

Hartmann, a Dutch East Indies government official at the Kedu Residency, continued Cornelius' work in 1835. Finally all parts of the building were visible. His interest in Borobudur is more personal. Hartmann did not write a report on his activities, so rumors circulated that he had found a Buddha statue in the main stupa. In 1842, Hartmann investigated the main stupa although what was found remains a mystery as the interior of the stupa was empty.

Chandi Borobudur

Chandi Borobudur

World Cultural Heritage Site since 1991, one of the views of Borobudur from the northwest. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Welcome to Borobudur Temple

Borobudur Temple is a Mahayana Buddhist temple, built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra dynasty, designed in the form of Javanese Buddhist architecture, which combines the original Indonesian culture of ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of achieving Nirvana. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide.

Borobudur viewed from Dagi hill.
Source: Image screenshot arisguide, Guiding Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. 

Stepping on Borobudur

History states that Chandi Borobudur is located right on a hill and was built in the middle of several mountains and hills. Looking to the west there are Mount Sundoro and Mount Sumbing. To the east are Mount Merbabu and Merapi. Looking to the north, approximately 15 kilometers from Borobudur is the Tidar hill, and to the south it is bordered by the Menoreh hills. Borobudur is located at the confluence of two rivers, namely Progo and Elo, which are located to the east.

Borobudur Main Stupa

 Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple built in the 9th century, consisting of six square terraces and three circular terraces, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Read the narrative about Chandi Borobudur in several titles and topics in this blog article, by visiting and making your tour even more enjoyable, explore in more detail the thematic narrative of Borobudur culture with Pamong Carita.

Get reading material about Chandi Borobudur in Barabudur atau Borobudur, Candi Buddha Pusaka Budaya Indonesia.

Explore and get to know more about ancestral cultural heritage in KEBUDAYAAN BOROBUDUR - BELAJAR DENGAN PEMANDU WISATA.

Reading is more fun, explore thematic tourist narratives in more detail with Pamong Carita in KEBUDAYAAN BOROBUDUR - BELAJAR DENGAN PAMONG CARITA.

Reading the history and architecture and fine arts of Borobudur will be more fun, digging into the narrative in more detail and reading in English is indeed fun and also seems very interesting to translate into easy and flexible language, get detailed reading at Welcome to Borobudur Temple, the fabric of life in the Buddhist culture.

Explore, admire the beauty of fine art in images and photos at PHOTO IMAGE BOROBUDUR.

Stupas of Borobudur

Chandi Borobudur is located on a hill, surrounded by mountains and hills. Looking to the west there are Mount Sundoro and Sumbing. To the east are Mount Merbabu and Merapi. Looking to the north, approximately 15 kilometers there is the Tidar hill, and to the south it is bordered by the Menoreh hills. Borobudur is located at the confluence of two rivers, namely Progo and Elo, which are located to the east. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo at arisguide.

In the historical narrative of Borobudur, the relief panels carved on the walls at the foot of the temple are mentioned in the Karmawibhangga text, regarding the offering of footwear called 'Upanat' to the Brahmins.

Upanat Borobudur

Giving footwear with the name 'Upanat', footwear offered to Brahmins, in order to obtain rewards and prosperity in life. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo at arisguide.

Explaining 'Upanat' is the footwear used to visit Borobudur Temple. This visit aims to get to know Borobudur better, learn about its history, take a thematic tour and admire the splendor and fine art of this monument. This is a form of appreciation and getting to know Borobudur, as well as playing a role in maintaining and protecting the world cultural heritage site in Borobudur, Indonesia.

Welcome to Borobudur Temple

Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple built in the 9th century, consisting of six square terraces and three circular terraces, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur

is a 9th–century Mahayana Buddhist temple, which consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide.

Chandi Borobudur is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo at arisguide.

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