The Monument of Borobudur

Welcome to Borobudur, one of the sacred buildings of Buddhism as a World Cultural Heritage site. The splendor and beauty of Borobudur has its own historical value for Indonesian people. The Indonesian government has designated Chandi Borobudur as a major tourist attraction, and also a priority tourist destination for domestic and foreign visitors.

Chandi Borobudur attracts extraordinary enthusiasm to visit and explore several narrative sources in thematic tours, with the aim of getting to know more closely the history, architecture and fine arts of this building. 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. Explore history and admire the beauty of architectural art, as well as the origin of the name Chandi Borobudur.

Welcome to Chandi Borobudur

World Cultural Heritage Site, a Mahayana Buddhist temple consisting of six square terraces and three circular platforms, and there is a largest stupa in the middle, which is surrounded by 72 perforated stupas, and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Borobudur was built in the 9th century during the reign of the Syailendra Dynasty, designed in the form of Javanese Buddhist architecture which combines native Indonesian ancestor worship culture and Buddhist philosophical concepts to achieve Nirvana. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Step into Borobudur

Chandi Borobudur 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 native Indonesian culture, ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of achieving Nirvana. The monument has a model of the universe and was built as a sacred place to honor Buddha and serves as a pilgrimage site to guide humanity from the realm of worldly desires to enlightenment and the highest wisdom in accordance with Buddhist teachings.

Barabudur or Borobudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple, consisting of nine stepped terraces, six square, and three circular platforms on top. The largest main stupa is located in the center, surrounded by three circular rows of 72 perforated stupas, each containing Buddha statues. The walls are decorated with 2,672 relief panels, and originally contained 504 Buddha statues.

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 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 of Chandi Borobudur and Chandi Pawon.

Barabudur or also known as Borobudur is a sacred Buddhist temple. Mentioning the name of the Borobudur, 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 'biara and beduhur' changed to Bara Budur, because the sound shifted to Borobudur, which means temple or monastery on a hill.

Chandi Borobudur is World Cultural Heritage Site, a Mahayana Buddhist temple was built in the 9th century during the reign of the Syailendra Dynasty. The monument was designed in the form of Javanese Buddhist architecture which combines native Indonesian ancestor worship culture and Buddhist philosophical concepts to achieve Nirvana.

Chandi Borobudur views from the east.

Borobudur is a Buddhist temple built on a hill during the reign of Samaratungga around 824 AD, consisting of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular platforms, 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.

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

Borobudur is a model of the universe and was built as a sacred place to honor Buddha and serve as a pilgrimage site to guide humanity from the realm of worldly desires to enlightenment and the highest wisdom according to Buddhist teachings. Pilgrims entering from the east begin the ritual, walking clockwise, climbing stairs through the three levels of spiritual realms in Buddhist cosmology. These three levels are Kamadhatu (the realm of desires), Rupadhatu (the realm of form), and Arupadhatu (the realm of formlessness). Pilgrims walk through a series of corridors and stairs, observing 1,460 relief panels carved into the walls and balustrades.

History of Borobudur

No written evidence has been found explaining who built Borobudur Temple or its purpose. It is estimated to have been built around 800 AD. Based on a comparison of the type of script engraved on the hidden foot of the southeast corner with script commonly used on royal inscriptions from the 8th and 9th centuries, this time period corresponds to 760 and 830 AD, the peak of the Syailendra Dynasty's power in Central Java, which was then influenced by the Srivijaya Kingdom. Borobudur's construction took over 75-100 years and was finally completed during the reign of King Samaratungga in 825 AD.

There is conflicting information about whether the ruling kings of Java were Hindu or Buddhist. The Sailendra dynasty is known to have adhered to Mahayana Buddhism, though the discovery of the Sojomerto inscription suggests that they may have initially been Shaivite Hindus. During this period, various Hindu and Buddhist temples were built on the Kedu Plain.

According to the Canggal Inscription, in 732 AD, the Shaivite king Sanjaya ordered the construction of the sacred Shiwalingga temple, built on the hills of Mount Wukir, just 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Borobudur.

The Buddhist temple of Borobudur was built around the same time as the temples on the Prambanan Plain. However, Borobudur is estimated to have been completed around 825 AD, twenty-five years before the construction of the Shaivite temple of Prambanan began in 850 AD.

The construction of Buddhist temples, including Borobudur, was possible at that time because Sanjaya's heir, Rakai Panangkaran, gave permission to Buddhists to build temples to show their respect. Panangkaran awarded Kalasan village to the sangha (Buddhist community), for the maintenance and financing of Kalasan Temple which was built to glorify Bodhisattwadewi Tara, mentioned in the Kalasan Inscription of 778 AD.

Archaeologists understand this evidence to indicate that in ancient Javanese society, religion was never a source of conflict. For example, Hindu kings could support and fund the construction of Buddhist temples. However, it is suspected that there was a rivalry between two royal dynasties at the time: the Buddhist Sailendra dynasty and the Shiva-worshipping Sanjaya dynasty. The Sanjaya dynasty ultimately emerged victorious in the battle of Ratu Boko in 856 AD.

Confusion also exists regarding the Lara Jonggrang temple in Prambanan, believed to have been built by the victorious Rakai Pikatan as the Sanjaya dynasty's response to rivaling the Sailendra dynasty's Borobudur. However, many believe there was a peaceful atmosphere of tolerance and togetherness between the two dynasties, with the Sailendras also involved in the construction of the Shiva temple in Prambanan.

Chandi Borobudur stepped pyramid

Borobudur is a model of the universe and was built as Mandala, a sacred 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. The largest main stupa is located in the center and crowns this building, surrounded by three circular rows of 72 perforated stupas in which there is a statue of Buddha inside. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Name of Borobudur

The origin of the name Borobudur is unclear, although the original names of most temples in Indonesia are unknown. The name Borobudur was first written in the book "History of Java Island" by Sir Thomas Raffles. Raffles wrote about a monument called Borobudur, but there are no older documents that mention the exact same name. The only ancient Javanese text that provides clues about the existence of a sacred Buddhist building that may refer to Borobudur is Nagarakretagama, written by Mpu Prapanca in 1365.

The name Bore-Budur, which was later written BoroBudur, was probably written by Raffles in English grammar to refer to the village closest to the temple, namely the village of Bore (Boro); Most temples are often named after the village where the temple stands. Raffles also suspects that the term 'Budur' may be related to the term Buda in the language "which means "ancient", meaning, "ancient Boro". However, other archaeologists think that the name Budur comes from the term bhudhara which means mountain.

Many theories try to explain the name of this temple. One of them states that this name probably comes from the word Sambharabhudhara, which means "mountain" (bhudara) on whose slopes there are terraces. In addition there are several other folk etymologies. For example, the word borobudur comes from the words "Buddhas" which, due to a shift in sound, becomes borobudur.

Another explanation is that this name comes from the two words "bara" and "beduhur". The word bara is said to come from the word vihara, while there is also another explanation where bara comes from Sanskrit which means temple or monastery and beduhur means "high", or reminds in Balinese which means "above". So what this means is a monastery located on high ground.

Historian J.G. de Casparis in his dissertation for a doctorate in 1950 argued that Borobudur was a place of worship. Based on the Karangtengah and Tri Tepusan inscriptions, Casparis estimates that the founder of Borobudur was the king of Mataram from the Syailendra dynasty named Samaratungga around 824 AD. The building was completed during the time of his daughter, namely Ratu Pramudawardhani. The construction of Borobudur is estimated to take approximately half a century.

The Karangtengah inscription also mentions the granting of sima land (tax-free land) by Çri Kahulunan (Pramudawardhani) to maintain Kamulan called Bhūmisambhāra. The term Kamulan itself comes from the word mula which means place of origin, a sacred building to honor ancestors, possibly ancestors of the Sailendra dynasty. Casparis estimates that Bhumi Sambhara Bhudhāra in Sanskrit, which means "Hill of the collection of virtues of the ten levels of boddhisattvas", is the original name of Borobudur.

The name Borobudur comes from two words "bara" and "beduhur".

The word "bara" comes from the word "vihara", in Sanskrit it means "temple".

The word "beduhur" means "high", in Balinese which means "above".

Chandi Borobudur was built in the middle of mountains and hills. Looking to the west there are Mount Sundoro and Sumbing. To the east are Mount Merbabu and Merapi. To the north, approximately 15 kilometers from Borobudur, 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.

Chandi Borobudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple consisting 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. Borobudur was built in the 9th century during the reign of the Syailendra Dynasty. This temple was designed in the form of Javanese Buddhist architecture which combines native Indonesian ancestor worship culture and Buddhist philosophical concepts to achieve Nirvana.

Chandi Borobudur

World Heritage Site, a Mahayana Buddhist temple consisting of six square terraces and three circular terraces, and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Borobudur was built in the 9th century during the reign of the Syailendra Dynasty. This temple was designed in the form of Javanese Buddhist architecture which combines native Indonesian ancestor worship culture and Buddhist philosophical concepts to achieve Nirvana. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Notes of the Name Borobudur

Ancient buildings originating from the ancient Javanese period in Indonesian history, stories are usually called chandi. At first they did not just mention the name which included the temple building, but also the structure of the building and other things such as the shape of the arches and gates and the bathing places.

In the explanation of most temples in Java, basically their original names are not widely known. Generally, most of the people living in nearby villages are not sure or even do not know about their existence at all. Several studies show that many cultural relics have been rediscovered, perhaps sacred buildings or temples were only mentioned by people from nearby villages.

However, some of them explained that they kept their name, all this time the village was named after the discovery of the temple. It may be spoken, but it is difficult to know whether the name Chandi Borobudur is narrated and comes from the village where the building is located.

In the history of ancient Java in the 18th century, it was described that there was a hill called Borobudur. At that time Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the person who discovered the temple, came to his research. He told in 1814 about the existence of a temple or monument called Borobudur in the village of Bumisegoro, by local residents. Borobudur, it seems that is the original name of the monument. But no written documents have been found about his name.

An ancient Javanese manuscript dated 1365 AD, Nagarakrtagama compiled by Mpu Prapanca, mentions the word 'Budur' in its name as a holy place for the Buddhist sect, Vajradhara. It is not impossible that the name 'Budur' is associated with Borobudur, but boecause there is no further information, until now a definite identification is difficult to make. Nearby villages always spoke 'Bore', possibly being the first part of the monument's original name.

In fact, many scholars have not proposed a solution to De Casparis's explanation. Moens argues that, in the analogy of the South Indian Bharasiwa denoting adherents of the Hindu God Siva, his monuments are associated with 'Bharabuddhas' or zealous enforcers of Buddha. The name 'Borobudur' would later become a contraction of 'Bharabuddha' in Tamil, the word 'ur' meaning 'city' was added, thus meaning 'City of Buddha upholders'.

However, the compound word 'Boro Budur' is difficult to explain, but on the contrary as the meaning of 'Budur is a holy place in the village of Boro' the interpretation will be different from the rules in Javanese, which require that the word Budur Boro instead of Boro Budur. Raffles received a suggestion about the word 'Budur', perhaps in accordance with the ancient Javanese word 'Buda', so Borobudur means 'ancient Boro'. He also gave another hypothesis about Boro meaning 'big', and Budur being 'Buddha', it was simply called 'Great Buddha'.

In fact, 'Boro' should mean more 'venerable', which comes from the Old Javanese word 'Bhara', a horrorific prefix, so 'revered Buddhist holy place' would be more appropriate. The word 'Boro' may also be the Old Javanese word 'Bhara' which means 'many', so interpreting 'Borobudur' as a holy place 'of many Buddhas' makes the same claim.

A more reasonable interpretation was put forward by Poerbatjaraka. He thought that the word 'boro' was an abbreviation of the word 'vihara', which means 'monastery'. Borobudur then means 'Budur Monastery'. Mention is made of the foundations of the monastery being excavated later during archaeological excavations carried out on the plateau west of the monument in 1952. Since the name 'Budur' is mentioned in the Nagarakrtagama, the interpretation given by Poerbatjaraka is probably correct. Such an assumption means that the monastery is a sacred building.

All the explanations above are based on the interpretation of the constituent words 'Boro' and 'Budur'. Then De Casparis tried to trace the two words back to their origins. He points out that the name 'Bhumisambharabhudhara', denoting a holy place for ancestor worship, is found on two stone inscriptions dating from 842 AD. He concludes that the holy place of Bhumisambharabhudhara is none other than our Borobudur, and that the name change now occurred through normal simplification what happens in spoken language.

The Discovery of Borobudur

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.

Borobudur was abandoned for approximately 600 years and was buried under layers of soil and volcanic ash, so at that time Borobudur was on a hill. The real reason why this building was neglected and abandoned is still not known for certain because when did this building cease to be a religious center for Buddhists.

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, 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.

According to the narrative of ancient Javanese history, in the period between 928 and 1006, King Mpu Sindok moved the center of the Medang kingdom to the East Java region after several volcanic eruptions, but several sources suspect that it is most likely that Borobudur began to be built. abandoned for now.

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 "Temple in Budur". Apart from that, Soekmono (1976) also said that this temple was 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 chronicles written in the 18th century mention stories of bad luck, about Borobudur. According to Babad Tanah Jawi, it explains the bad luck that occurred in 1709 on the 'Redi Borobudur' hill. In the Mataram Chronicle, it is stated that he visited this building in 1757. This is related to the Buddha statue in the perforated stupa.

Between 1811 and 1816, Thomas Stamford Raffles was appointed Governor-General of Java, and he took a special interest in Javanese history. He collected ancient Javanese art artifacts and recorded Javanese history and culture, which he gleaned from his encounters with local people during his travels around Java. On his inspection visit to Semarang in 1814, he was informed of the existence of a large monument deep in the forest near the village of Bumisegoro. Due to his absence and duties, he could not go alone to search for the building and sent H.C. Cornelius, a Dutch engineer, to investigate the existence of this large building.

In two months, Cornelius and 200 of his subordinates cut down the trees and bushes that grew on the Borobudur hill and cleared the layer of soil that buried this temple. Due to the threat of landslides, he was unable to dig and clear all the passages. He reported his findings to Raffles, including submitting various sketches of the Borobudur temple. Raffles was credited with rediscovering the once lost monument.

Hartmann, a Dutch East Indies government official in the Kedu Residency, continued Cornelius' work and in 1835 finally all parts of the building had been excavated and visible. His interest in Borobudur is more personal than his work duties. Hartmann did not write reports on his activities; in particular, rumors circulated that he had discovered a large Buddha statue in the main stupa.

In 1842, Hartmann investigated the main stupa although what he found remains a mystery because the interior of the stupa was empty. The Dutch East Indies government assigned F.C. Wilsen, a Dutch engineer in the field of engineering, studied this monument and drew hundreds of relief sketches. J.F.G. Brumund was also appointed to carry out more detailed research on the monument, which he completed in 1859. The government planned to publish an article based on Brumund's research accompanied by Wilsen's sketches, but Brumund refused to cooperate.

The Dutch East Indies government then commissioned another scientist, C. Leemans, who compiled a monograph based on sources from Brumund and Wilsen. In 1873, the first monograph and more detailed study of Borobudur was published, followed by a translated edition in French a year later. The first photo of this monument was taken in 1873 by Dutch engrapher Isidore van Kinsbergen. Appreciation for the site is growing slowly.

For quite a long time Borobudur has been a source of souvenirs and income for most antique collectors. The head of the Buddha statue is the part that is most often stolen. That's why many headless Buddha statues are now found in Borobudur. Parts of temple statues and carvings were stolen as souvenirs and antiques. Efforts to save Borobudur are quite difficult, this is related to the missing part of the temple. Borobudur stones that were thought to have been lost as antiques and souvenirs include 30 stone reliefs, 5 Buddha statues, 2 lion statues, 1 makara fountain, a number of Kala heads from the steps and gates, and a giant statue (dwarapala ) which is very special from the Dagi hill northwest of the temple.

In 1882, the chief inspector of cultural artifacts recommended that Borobudur be completely dismantled and the reliefs moved to the museum due to unstable conditions, uncertainties and theft that were rampant in the monument. As a result, the government appointed Groenveldt, an archaeologist, to conduct a thorough investigation of the site and take into account the actual condition of the complex; The report stated that these concerns were excessive and suggested that the building be left intact and not dismantled to be moved. 

In 1882, a proposal emerged to dismantle the entire temple building and move the reliefs to a museum considering that the condition of the temple was too damaged and worrying. This proposal did not receive an immediate response but gave rise to thoughts about efforts to save the temple from the danger of collapsing or being destroyed.

Another very important discovery was in 1885, when J.W. Ijzerman conducted an investigation and carried out excavations regarding the existence of the temple. During this investigation, IJzerman found reliefs behind the foot of the temple on all four sides of the temple which are often called Hidden Foot. The base of this temple was dismantled part by part for photographic purposes and then closed again. Some of the reliefs behind the foot of this temple are not covered or are partially displayed in the southeast corner along the two panels facing south.

In 1900 a committee was formed whose special task was to carry out planning to save Borobudur temple. After two years of work, it was concluded that it was necessary to save Borobudur Temple. In 1905, the Dutch Government approved the restoration of the Borobudur temple, led by T. Van Erp. Restoration was carried out in 1907 – 1911.

Borobudur again attracted attention in 1885, when Yzerman, Chairman of the Archaeological Society in Yogyakarta, discovered a hidden foot. Photographs showing the reliefs on the hidden foot were taken between 1890 and 1891. This discovery prompted the Dutch East Indies government to take steps to preserve the monument.

In 1900, the government formed a commission of three officials to examine the monument: Brandes, an art historian; Theodoor van Erp, an engineer and member of the Dutch army; and Van de Kamer, a structural engineer from the Department of Public Works.

In 1902, the commission proposed a three-step Borobudur conservation plan to the government. First, urgent threats must be addressed by realigning the building's corners, removing stones that pose a risk to adjacent ones, reinforcing the first balustrade, and restoring several niches, gates, stupas, and the main stupa. Second, the temple courtyard must be fenced, and the drainage system must be maintained and repaired by repairing the floor and fountains. Third, all loose and dislodged stones must be removed, the monument cleaned down to the first balustrade, damaged stones removed, and the main stupa restored. The total cost at the time was estimated at approximately 48,800 guilders.

The restoration was carried out between 1907 and 1911, using the principles of anastylosis and led by Theodor van Erp. The first seven months were spent excavating the soil around the monument to locate missing Buddha heads and stone panels. Van Erp dismantled and rebuilt three circular terraces and the stupa at the summit. During the process, Van Erp discovered numerous areas that could be dismantled and repaired, so he resubmitted another proposal, which was approved with an additional budget of 34,600 guilders. Van Erp undertook further reconstruction, meticulously reconstructing the chattra (three-tiered stone umbrella) that crowned Borobudur's summit.

At first glance, Borobudur appeared restored to its former glory. However, the reconstruction of the chattra was deemed untenable, so Van Erp dismantled parts of the chattra, including the mastaka, or pinnacle of Borobudur. The three-tiered chattra was once housed in the Borobudur Museum.Due to budget constraints, the restoration focused solely on cleaning the statues and stones; Van Erp neglected to address the drainage and water management issues. Over the next 15 years, the gallery walls were tilting, and the reliefs showed cracks and damage. Van Erp's use of concrete caused the formation of alkali salt and calcium hydroxide crystals, which spread throughout the structure and damaged the temple's stonework. This led to problems necessitating further renovations.

Small restorations have been carried out since then, but they were not sufficient to provide complete protection. By the late 1960s, the Indonesian government had submitted a request to the international community for a major restoration to protect the monument.

In 1973, a master plan for the restoration of Borobudur was developed. The Indonesian government and UNESCO undertook a great comprehensive restoration of the monument in a major project between 1975 and 1982. The restoration included the construction of a cement-reinforced foundation and the cleaning of all 1,460 relief panels. This involved dismantling all five square terraces and improving the drainage system by installing water channels within the monument. A filter and waterproofing layer was added, using reinforced concrete and pipes, for the drainage system during the 1973 restoration project.

This colossal project involved 600 people to restore the monument and cost a total of US$6,901,243. Following the renovation, UNESCO inscribed Borobudur on its list of World Heritage Sites in 1991.

Chandi Borobudur

World Cultural Heritage Site since 1991, one of the views of Borobudur from the top. The largest main stupa is located in the center and crowns this building, surrounded by three circular rows of 72 perforated stupas in which there is a statue of Buddha inside. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Chandi Borobudur

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 native Indonesian culture, ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of achieving Nirvana. The monument has a model of the universe and was built as a sacred place to honor Buddha and serves as a pilgrimage site to guide humanity from the realm of worldly desires to enlightenment and the highest wisdom in accordance with Buddhist teachings.

Barabudur or Borobudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple, consisting of nine stepped terraces, six square, and three circular platforms on top. The largest main stupa is located in the center, surrounded by three circular rows of 72 perforated stupas, each containing Buddha statues. The walls are decorated with 2,672 relief panels, and originally contained 504 Buddha statues.

Chandi Borobudur

World Cultural Heritage Site, Chandi Borobudur 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. The largest main stupa is located in the center and crowns this building, surrounded by three circular rows of 72 perforated stupas in which there is a statue of Buddha inside.

Chandi Borobudur is located right on a hill and is built in the middle of several 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 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 of Chandi Borobudur and Chandi Pawon. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

The story of architect Borobudur, Gunadharma

According to legend, the architect who designed the Borobudur chandi was named Gunadharma, little is known, his name was based more on Javanese fairy tales and legends, not based on historical inscriptions.

The Gunadharma legend with folklore about the Menoreh hills whose shape resembles the body of a lying person. This local fairy tale tells that Gunadharma's body turned into the Menoreh hills. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide.

Barabudur or Borobudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple or sacred building with stepped pyramid stupa-shaped architecture, which was founded by Samaratungga around 824 AD during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty.

Chandi Borobudur, the majestic and little-known temple - the mountain of virtue - was first a landscape, which more than a thousand years ago, met the eyes of those who came on pilgrimage here in search of the inner peace to which all Buddhists aspire.

Read the complete narrative and material about Chandi Borobudur by visiting and make your tour even more enjoyable, explore in more detail the thematic narrative of Borobudur culture with Pamong Carita.

Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide.

Get more narration and materials about Chandi Borobudur in Barabudur atau Borobudur, Candi Buddha Pusaka Budaya Indonesia.

Reading is more fun exploring the thematic narratives in more detail in Selamat Datang di Kebudayaan Borobudur.

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.

Ancient buildings are originating from the old Javanese period in Indonesian history, the narratives are usually called chandi. At the first, they did not only mention the name which included the temple's building, but the building structure and the other thing such as the shape of the gates and the arches as well as a bathing place.

View of Borobudur from Dagi hill

The beauty of Borobudur view from Dagi Hill. Chandi Borobudur is located right on a hill and is built in the middle of several 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 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 of Chandi Borobudur and Chandi Pawon. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide.

Read the complete narrative and material about Chandi Borobudur by visiting and make your tour even more enjoyable, explore in more detail the thematic narrative of Borobudur culture with Pamong Carita. Reading becomes 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.

Borobudur, UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide.

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.

arisguide

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