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Mar 13 2007

(View this article as a photo gallery)

Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist temple - a status it has probably held since its construction was completed about 1150 years ago. But for most of the temple's life it was buried under ash and hidden by jungle growth in this portion of Indonesia's East Java province.

Today the world's largest Buddhist temple is a national treasure in the world's most populous Islamic nation. A $21 million restoration program between 1973 and 1984 returned much of the complex to its former glory and it is now a reminder of Java's past splendor and one of the nation's leading tourist draws.

The temple was the work of the Sailendra Dynasty. The Sailendras are thought to have come to Java from Southeast Asia's first important kingdom, Funan, when Funan's hold on mainland Southeast Asia was brought to an end in about A.D. 550. King Vishnu began Borobudur in A.D. 778; His grandson, Samaratunga, complete the site in about A.D. 825.

The original name, Borobudur, is usually translated as "temple on the hill". But the name actually serves as an abbreviation for Bhumisan Brabadura, which translates as "The Ineffable Mountain of Accumulated Virtues" - a symbolic title. Borobudur was meant to be a mountain of initiation. It was to be ascended - level by level, terrace by terrace - by pilgrims seeking the enlightenment that is symbolized by the unity of the shrine's top. The structure of the complex illustrates the idea: a small horde of pagodas, stupas, and alcoves define the lower levels, but a single stupa sits atop the whole. The path goes from multiplicity to oneness.

The temple evidently began as a Hindu work. (Keep in mind that Buddha remains one of the more popular Hindu gods, even today.) Sometime after the lower levels of the structure were completed, Mahayana Buddhist displaced Hinduism as the primary religion of the area.

Borobudur's design makes it a miniature cosmos dedicated to Buddha. Nine terraces represented the nine past lives of Gautama before the pinnacle is reached. But the temple's most impressive aspects today are its art work. There are three miles of galleries around the terraces with over 2,000 detailed bas relief sculptures and 400 statues of Buddha in various moods and positions. The structure is crowned by a magnificent sitting Buddha.

Some scholars also believe that Borobudur may have been intended to serve as a tomb for King Indra (A.D. 782-812). For some reason the king's ashes were never placed in the temple's underground level.

The massive size of Borobudur is astounding and bears witness to the huge resource of labor which the Sailendra kings must have had at their disposal.

The beauty of the structure is attested to by the huge number of photographs of Borobudur available online. Art trips to the temple site are common.

A trip to Borobudur will probably include a stop over in Yogyakarta - the most popular city in Indonesia. Yogya is the cultural and intellectual center of Java, full of universities and academies. Traditional performing arts - including the Ramayana Ballet and gamelan performances - are available. It is also a major batik center. The city offers a great range of accommodation and restaurants.

If you have the opportunity, Borobudur is worth seeing...