Tuesday, November 13, 2012

borobudur temple



Who does not know Borobudur? This Buddhist temple has 1460 relief panels and 504 Buddha effigies in its complex. Millions of people are yearning to visit the buildings included in this World Wonder Heritages. Not surprisingly, since architecturally and functionally, as the place of worship, Borobudur is attractive.
 
Borobudur was built around the year 800 AD or the 9th century. Borobudur was built by the followers of Mahayana Buddhism during the reign of Dynasty dynasty.
The temple was built in the heyday dynasty dynasty. The founder of the Borobudur Temple, King Samaratungga originating from or dynasty dynasty dynasty. The possibility of this temple was built around 824 AD and was completed around the year 900 AD during the reign of Queen Pramudawardhani who is the daughter of Samaratungga. While the architects who contributed to build this temple according to the story of hereditary named Gunadharma.Borobudur Temple

Borobudur own words based on the first written evidence which was written by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Governor General of United Kingdom in Java, which gave the name of this temple. There is no written evidence that older who named Borobudur temple. Only the oldest document showing the existence of this temple is Nagarakretagama book, written by mpu Prapanca in 1365. In the book it is written that this temple was used as a place of Buddhist meditation.The meaning of the name Borobudur is "monastery in the hills", which comes from the word "coal" (temple or monastery) and "beduhur" (hills or high places) in Sanskrit. Therefore, in accordance with the meaning of the name Borobudur, then this place long ago used as a place of Buddhist worship.This temple for centuries no longer used. Then, because of volcanic eruptions, most buildings covered Borobudur volcanic soil. In addition, the building is also covered with various trees and shrubs for centuries. Then the building of this temple began forgotten in the time Islam arrived in Indonesia around the 15th century.In 1814 when the British occupied Indonesia, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles heard of the discovery of huge archaeological objects in the village Neely Magelang. Due to the great interest in the history of Java, then immediately ordered Raffles HC Cornelius, a Dutch engineer, to investigate the current location of the discovery was a hill covered with shrubs.Cornelius assisted by about 200 men cut down trees and remove shrubs that covered the giant building. Because the building already fragile and could collapse, then report to the Raffles Cornelius invention includes several images. Since that discovery, Raffles was awarded as the person who started the restoration of Borobudur and get the world's attention. In 1835, the entire area of ​​the temple was unearthed. The temple is kept restored in the Dutch colonial period.After Indonesia's independence, in 1956, the Indonesian government requested the assistance of UNESCO to examine the damage to Borobudur. Then in 1963, came the official Indonesian government's decision to conduct the restoration of Borobudur temple with the help of UNESCO. However, this restoration was only really started to held on August 10, 1973. The process of restoration was recently completed in 1984. Since 1991, the Borobudur temple designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO or the World Heritage.

 
Borobudur TempleBorobudur temple architectureBorobudur temple is located in Magelang, Central Java, about 40 km from Yogyakarta. Borobudur has 10 levels consisting of 6 levels of a square, circular level 3 circular and a main stupa as a peak. In every 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 which describes the ten levels of Bodhisattva who must pass to reach the perfection of the Buddha in nirvana. This perfection symbolized by the main stupa at the top level. Borobudur structure when viewed from above form a mandala depicting the structure of Buddhist cosmology and the human way of thinking.On the four sides of the temple there is a gate and a ladder to the level above it like a pyramid. This illustrates the Buddhist philosophy that all life came from rocks. Stone later became the sand, then into plants, then into the insect, then a wild animal and pets, and the last to be human. This process is known as reincarnation. The last process is the soul and finally into nirvana. Each stage of enlightenment in this life processes based on the philosophy of Buddha depicted in the reliefs and statues throughout the Borobudur Temple.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 patterns and stacked. The base of Borobudur temple is about 118 m on each side. The stones used approximately 55,000 cubic meters. All of the stone was taken from the river around the Borobudur Temple. These stones are cut and then transported and connected with a pattern like the lego games. All without using glue or cement.Meanwhile, relief began to be made after the completion of rocks stacked and connected. There reliefs on temple walls. Borobudur has 2670 different relief. Relief is read clockwise. This relief illustrates a story that I read it starts and ends at the gate to the east. This suggests that the main gate of Borobudur temple facing the east like most other Buddhist temples.

 
Vesak celebration at BorobudurEvery year on the full moon in May (or June in leap years), Buddhists in Indonesia commemorate Vesak at the Borobudur Temple. Vesak is celebrated as the day of birth, death and the time when Siddhartha Gautama obtain 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 Mendut to Pawon and ending at Borobudur.On the eve of Vesak, particularly during the peak moment of the 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.

 
BorobudurToday, Borobudur has become a tourist attraction which attracts many tourists both local and foreign tourists. Additionally, Borobudur has become a holy place for Buddhists in Indonesia and became the center of an annual celebration of the most important Buddhist Vesak.Borobudur be one proof of the greatness and human intelligence has ever made in Indonesia. Borobudur become a tourist and cultural sites in Indonesia than Bali and Jakarta. After visiting Borobudur, you can also visit the nearby villages like Karanganyar which has some interesting sights.

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