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Borobudur Temple or abbreviated as Borobudur is a Buddhist temple located in Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. This temple is located approximately 100 km to the southwest of Semarang, 86 km to the west of Surakarta, and 40 km to the northwest of Yogyakarta. This temple with many stupas was founded by Mahayana Buddhists around the year 800 AD during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty. Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple or temple in the world, as well as one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the world.
This monument consists of six square terraces on which there are three side courtyards, on the walls with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues were found. Borobudur is the most complete and largest collection of Buddhist reliefs in the world. The largest main stupa is located in the center and at the same time crowning this building, surrounded by three right sides there are 72 perforated stupas in which there is a Buddha statue sitting cross-legged in a perfect lotus position with mudra (hand gesture) Dharmachakra mudra (turning the wheel of dharma).
This monument is a model of the universe and was built as a holy place to glorify Buddha as well as function as a place of pilgrimage to guide mankind from the realm of worldly desires to enlightenment and wisdom according to Buddha's teachings. The pilgrims enter through the east side and begin the ritual at the base of the temple by walking around this sacred building in a clockwise direction, while continuing to ascend the next steps through the three levels of realms in Buddhist cosmology. The three levels are Kāmadhātu (the realm of lust), Rupadhatu (the realm of the tangible), and Arupadhatu (the realm of the intangible). On the way the pilgrims walk through a series of passages and stairs by witnessing no less than 1,460 beautiful relief panels engraved on the walls and balustrades.
According to historical evidence, Borobudur was abandoned in the 14th century as the influence of the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms in Java weakened and the influence of Islam began to enter. The world began to realize the existence of this building since it was discovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who at that time served as the British Governor General of Java. Since then Borobudur has undergone a series of rescue and restoration efforts (repairs). The largest restoration project was carried out between 1975 and 1982 with the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and UNESCO, then this historic site was included in the list of World Heritage Sites.
Surrounding Environment
Surrounding Environment
Borobudur, Pawon, and Mendut lie in a straight line indicating the unity of the symbol. Located about 40 kilometers (25 mi) northwest of Yogyakarta City, Borobudur is situated on a hill on a plain surrounded by two pairs of twin mountains; Mount Sindoro-Sumbing in the northwest and Merbabu-Merapi in the northeast, to the north there is Tidar Hill, closer to the south are the Menoreh hills, and this temple is located near the confluence of two rivers, namely the Progo River and Elo River on the right. east. According to Javanese legend, the area known as the Kedu Plain is a place that is considered sacred in Javanese beliefs and is hailed as the 'Garden of the island of Java' because of its natural beauty and fertile soil.
Ancient Lake
Ancient Lake
Borobudur in the midst of the natural greenery of the Kedu plain. It was thought that the area around Borobudur was an ancient lake. Unlike other temples that are built on flat land, Borobudur is built on a hill with a height of 265 m (869 ft) above sea level and 15 m (49 ft) above the bottom of an ancient lake that has dried up. The existence of this ancient lake became a hot topic of debate among archaeologists in the 20th century; and raises the suspicion that Borobudur was built on the shore or even in the middle of the lake. In 1931, a Hindu Buddhist artist and architectural expert, W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, put forward the theory that the Kedu Plain was once a lake, and Borobudur was built to symbolize a lotus flower floating on the surface of the lake.
Development
There is no written evidence that explains who built Borobudur and what it was used for. The construction time is estimated based on a comparison between the type of script written on the closed foot of Karmawibhangga with the type of script commonly used in 8th and 9th century royal inscriptions. It is estimated that Borobudur was built around 800 AD. This period corresponds to the period between 760 and 830 AD, the heyday of the Syailendra dynasty in Central Java, which at that time controlled the throne of the Medang Kingdom. The construction of Borobudur is estimated to have taken more than 75 - 100 years and was actually completed during the reign of King Samaratungga in 825.
Abandoned Borobudur
Abandoned Borobudur
The eruption of Mount Merapi is thought to be the main cause of the abandonment of Borobudur. Borobudur was hidden and neglected for centuries buried under a layer of soil and volcanic ash which was then overgrown with trees and shrubs so that Borobudur at that time really resembled a hill. The real reason for the abandonment of Borobudur is still unknown. It is not known for certain since when this sacred building ceased to be a center of Buddhist pilgrimage. Between 928 and 1006, King Mpu Sindok moved the royal capital of Medang to East Java after a series of volcanic eruptions; it is not certain whether this factor caused Borobudur to be abandoned, but some sources suspect that it is very possible that Borobudur began to be abandoned during this period. This sacred building was mentioned vaguely around 1365, by Mpu Prapanca in his Nagarakretagama manuscript written during the Majapahit kingdom. He mentioned the existence of a "Vihara in Budur". In addition, Soekmono (1976) also put forward a popular opinion that this temple began to be completely abandoned since the local population converted to Islam in the 15th century.
Rediscovery
Rediscovery
After the Anglo-Dutch War over the island of Java, Java was under British (British) rule from 1811 to 1816. Thomas Stamford Raffles was appointed Governor-General, and he had a special interest in Javanese history. He collects antique artifacts of ancient Javanese art and makes notes on the history and culture of Java which he collects from his encounters with local people on 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 his duties as Governor-General, 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. Within two months, Cornelius and his 200 subordinates cut down the trees and shrubs 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. Although this discovery only mentions a few sentences, Raffles is credited with rediscovering this monument, as well as drawing the world's attention for the existence of this once lost monument.
Restoration
Restoration
Borobudur again attracted attention in 1885, when Yzerman, Chair of the Archaeological Society in Yogyakarta, discovered a hidden foot. Photographs featuring reliefs on hidden feet were made in the period 1890–1891. This discovery prompted the Dutch East Indies government to take steps to preserve this monument. In 1900, the government formed a commission consisting of three officials to examine this monument: Brandes, an art historian, Theodoor van Erp, an engineer who was also a member of the Dutch army, and Van de Kamer, a building construction engineer from the Ministry of Public Works.
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