Save Borobudur Heritage
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.
A friendly tour guide, Pamong Carita will accompany you on this interesting opportunity, providing narratives and explanations as a form of appreciation for the study and participation in maintaining, protecting and preserving ancestral cultural heritage.
Borobudur as a sacred building is the largest Buddhist temple in the world in Indonesia. Many historians have put forward theories about the early history of ancient Javanese cultural civilization and the construction of Borobudur, especially during the Hindu and Buddhist eras. Indian culture that entered Indonesia had quite a big influence on religious life and became the background for the existence of the ruling kingdoms on the island of Java at that time.
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Welcome to Borobudur A Mahayana Buddhist temple, built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, designed with 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. |
Borobudur
Chandi Borobudur is a world cultural heritage site or World Heritage Site, this Buddhist temple is located in Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. Entered on the list of one of the world's cultural heritage sites is the Borobudur Temple, since 1991 by UNESCO, so this building is part of the largest monument in the world.
The aesthetic achievements and architectural engineering expertise displayed by Borobudur, as well as its extraordinary size, are a testament to the splendor of its past, and inspire pride in the Indonesian nation. Borobudur has become a strong symbol for Indonesia, namely as a witness to past glories.
Chandi Borobudur was built in the VIII-IX century AD as mentioned in two inscriptions, namely Karangtengah in 824 AD and Sri Kahulunan in 842 AD, by King Samaratungga from the Syailendra Dynasty who ruled around 782 – 812 AD, with a Mahayana Buddhist background. As a sacred building for worship and a place of worship.
Borobudur is a Mahayana Buddhist temple consisting of six square terraces, three circular platforms, the walls are decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally there were 504 Buddha statues. This monument was built in a Javanese-Buddhist architectural form that combines native Indonesian ancestor worship culture and Buddhist concepts of achieving Nirvana.
The largest main stupa is located in the center and is the crown of this building, surrounded by three circular rows of 72 perforated stupas in which there is a statue of Buddha sitting cross-legged in a perfect lotus position with the Dharmachakra mudra (the wheel of dharma).
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 mankind from the realm of worldly desires to enlightenment and wisdom according to Buddhist teachings.
According to history, a sacred Buddhist building was abandoned and buried in a hill for several centuries. As a result of natural disasters and the eruption of Mount Merapi, this building was covered in ash and soil which caused Buddhists to leave Borobudur, as the history mentioned in the books "Babad Tanah Jawi" in 1709 and "Babad Tanah Mataram" in 1757.
In 1814, the people around Bumisegoro mentioned and reported the existence of a temple that was buried and covered in soil, inside the hill. It attracted attention for investigation. Borobudur Temple received serious attention and an investigation was started by Thomas Stanford Raffles, a British General Governor in Java.
In history it is said that Raffles was the first person to discover Borobudur. The discovery of this building by Raffles was an important moment to reintroduce Borobudur to the world. Then a Dutch engineer, H.C Cornelius, cleared the bushes covering the hill of Borobudur Temple.
The next attempt was made in 1835 led by Hartman, a Resident of Kedu. In this era, the description of Borobudur was also carried out by Brumun and the sketch was carried out by Wilson. In 1885, Jan Willem Ijzerman, an engineer who at that time served as the first president of Archeologische Vereniging Yogyakarta – Sarekat Arkeologi, and his team carried out excavations and discovered the base of Borobudur in the form of a series of reliefs known as the Karmawibhangga reliefs. At that time, indigenous photographer, Kassian Cephas, was asked to photograph all 160 relief panels visible from the excavation results. After that, the series of relief panels are closed again.
Borobudur Temple has an experience several rescue and restoration efforts to restore its past glory and splendor. The first restoration of Borobudur Temple was led by Theodore van Erp, and was carried out in 1907-1911 and the second restoration was carried out in 1973-1983, the largest restoration was carried out through collaborative efforts between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and UNESCO, then this historic site was included in the list of Sites World Heritage – Unesco World Heritage 1991.
Chandi Borobudur was left behind, a building collapse and due to natural disasters and volcanic eruptions, this building was abandoned and buried in a hill. The stupas on the Arupadhatu terrace are covered with soil. Shrubs and large trees grow in the yard around the temple. The soil covering the temple was thrown around the hill. Stone ruins are piled up around the foot of the temple.
Borobudur Rehabilitation
Preservation of Borobudur
Chandi Borobudur is one of several Cultural Heritage Sites located in Indonesia which takes the form of the largest temple building. Currently Borobudur has been included as a world cultural heritage site or World Heritage Site. It was built in the IX century with a background of Mahayana Buddhism and during the heyday of the Syailendra Dynasty.
Administratively, Chandi Borobudur is located in Borobudur Village, Borobudur District, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province. Chandi Borobudur is located on a hill on a plain surrounded by two pairs of mountains; Mount Sundoro-Sumbing in the northwest and Merbabu-Merapi in the northeast, in the north there is Bukit Tidar, and in the south there are the Menoreh mountains, and is located near the confluence of two rivers, namely the Progo River and the Elo River in the east.
Borobudur has experienced several series of conservation efforts carried out by the Indonesian and international governments. After the large-scale restoration of Borobudur in 1973, according to UNESCO, the conservation of this monument has identified three important problems in efforts to preserve Borobudur, namely vandalism or damage caused by visitors; soil erosion in the southeastern part of the site; analysis and restoration of missing parts.
Several things such as loose soil, several earthquakes and heavy rain can shake the structure of this building. Earthquakes are the most serious factor, because not only can rocks collapse and arches collapse, the ground itself also moves in waves that can damage building structures.
Pay attention to several things in Borobudur related to the condition of damaged buildings, including the condition of the stupa on the Arupadhatu terrace covered in dust and soil. Large bushes and trees grow in the yard around the building. The soil covering the building was largely removed and moved around the hill. The stone ruins of the building are placed around the foot of the temple.
Borobudur Temple is one of the cultural heritage heritages in Indonesia in the form of temple buildings. The maintenance and protection of the Borobudur temple as a single tourist destination in Indonesia is carried out by the Conservation Study Center, including several things, including dealing with natural disasters due to volcanic eruptions, the closest of which is Mount Merapi. The most active mountain in Java.
As the largest Buddhist religious building, and composed of 55,000 cubic meters of stone with unstable rock and hill soil conditions, Borobudur needs maintenance and protection. Protection from the collapse of temple building stones, unstable hill soil causing landslides, the threat of moss plants and rock crust is a serious concern.
Over the last few decades, after the restoration of Borobudur by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, Borobudur conservation was carried out by the Conservation Study Center in Indonesia and involved the world, namely UNESCO. Currently, the Conservation Study Center has become the Borobudur Conservation Center (BKB).
Overall, UNESCO has studied and identified seriously those related to the rehabilitation of Borobudur, namely three important problems in efforts to preserve this building. Three things were mentioned which included things such as vandalism or damage carried out by visitors, unstable soil conditions which caused soil erosion in the southeastern part of the site, and analysis and restoration of lost parts.
Clay soil that is exposed to high rainfall becomes loose, due to several earthquakes, and rainfall can shake the structure of this building. Earthquakes resulting from volcanic eruptions are the factor that has the most severe impact, because not only can rocks fall and arch gates collapse, the ground moves and undulates which can damage building structures.
Save Borobudur
The cultural tradition associated with Javanese society that aims to gain good luck by touching the Borobudur stone has increased the popularity of one of the stupas on the top level which is circular, with the tradition of touching the Buddha statue inside it has attracted many visitors, most of whom are for good luck. Notice board about what to do while visiting and being in the building.
Borobudur has written on several terraces, many warning boards not to touch anything, warnings are sounded via loudspeakers and there are guards, things related to vandalism such as the destruction and graffiti of reliefs and statues are still happening a lot, this is clear. damaged the buildings of this historic site.
On May 27 2006, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale rocked the southern coast of Central Java. This natural disaster has destroyed several areas to the south with the most victims in Yogyakarta, this disaster did not have much effect on the Borobudur temple.
On 28 August 2006, a symposium entitled Trail of Civilizations was held in Borobudur at the initiative of the Governor of Central Java and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Present at the event were representatives from UNESCO and Buddhist-majority countries in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Myanmar , Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Borobudur Temple was badly affected by the eruption of Mount Merapi in 2010, volcanic ash covered the building and reached a thickness of about 25 centimeters (10 in) covering the temple building at the time of the eruption on 3–5 November 2010. Volcanic ash also damaged and killed nearby plants, and experts worry that volcanic ash is chemically acidic, so it could damage the stones of this historic building. The temple complex was closed from 5 to 9 November 2010 to remove layers of dust.
Cleaning the temple from volcanic ash deposits will take approximately 6 months, then reforesting and planting trees in the surrounding environment to stabilize the temperature, and finally reviving the social and economic life of the local community.
More than 55,000 stone blocks of the temple had to be dismantled to repair water and drainage systems that were blocked by a mixture of volcanic ash mixed with rainwater. The restoration ended in November 2011, earlier than originally expected.
Chandi Borobudur was greatly affected by the eruption of Mount Merapi in October and November 2010. Volcanic ash from Mount Merapi fell on the temple complex, which is about 30 kilometers (18 mi) west - southwest of the crater. A layer of ash 2.5 centimeters (1 in) thick fell on the temple statues during the November 3–5 eruption, also killing nearby vegetation, with experts fearing the acidic ash could damage the historic site.
The temple complex was closed from November 5 to 9 to clear fallen ash. UNESCO donated US$3 million as part of the costs for the rehabilitation of the Borobudur temple following the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi. More than 55,000 stone blocks that made up the temple were dismantled to restore a drainage system clogged with mud after rain.
In January 2012, two German stone conservation experts spent ten days at the site analyzing the temple and making recommendations to ensure its long-term preservation. In June, Germany agreed to contribute $130,000 to UNESCO for the second phase of rehabilitation, in which six experts in rock conservation, microbiology, structural engineering and chemical engineering will spend a week at the Borobudur temple in June then return for another visit in September or October.
The mission will launch conservation activities recommended in the January report and will include capacity building activities to improve the conservation capabilities of government staff and young conservationists.
In August 2014, the Chandi Borobudur Conservation Center reported severe abrasion on the stone steps caused by friction from visitors' footwear. Conservation authorities plan to install wooden steps to cover and protect the original stone steps, like those installed at Angkor Wat.
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Rehabilitasi Borobudur Observing the rehabilitation efforts of the Borobudur temple after the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi, UNESCO donated funds to fund rehabilitation efforts to clean up volcanic ash. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo arisguide. |
Saving Borobudur at Glance
Borobudur during the restoration period.
Various efforts have been made to save and restore Borobudur Temple to restore its past glory and splendor. The first restoration of Borobudur Temple led by Theodore van Erp was carried out in 1907-1911 and the second restoration was carried out in 1973-1983, the largest restoration was carried out as a result of collaborative efforts between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia. Republic of Indonesia and UNESCO.
One of the appreciations for the ancient site of Borobudur, began when it was rediscovered by Raffles in 1814. For quite a long time, Borobudur has been a source of souvenirs as part of ancient objects. The head of the Buddha statue is the part that is most often stolen. Because of this, many headless Buddha statues are now found in Borobudur. The government's attention is slowly growing to save Borobudur through restoration.
Borobudur Restoration
Borobudur again attracted attention in 1885, during excavations by Yzerman, who discovered a hidden foot. The results of the excavation are photographs showing all the reliefs on the walls at the foot of the temple which were made in the 1890-1891 period. The results of this discovery encouraged the Dutch East Indies government to take the next step in preserving Borobudur.
Judging from their composition, Borobudur stones are a material located in an open environment which is very susceptible to various environmental conditions. Removing building stones from layers of soil, bushes and trees results in the structure and arrangement of the stones being exposed and this interacts directly with changes in environmental conditions.
Apart from changes in temperature, environment and humidity, another threat is the interaction and influence of water. Water that enters and sticks to the pores of andesite rock will cause humidity to increase and can accelerate the rate of weathering. Apart from rock material, water that enters and is trapped in the soil also causes the soil to become saturated and causes its carrying capacity to decrease. This will trigger landslides and stabilize the soil's carrying capacity, considering the location of the Borobudur stone structure on a hill.
Apart from various natural factors that caused damage to the stone structure, Borobudur also experienced damage due to the demolition of stone buildings to obtain antiques which resulted in the condition of the stone structure being lost. As is known, the main stupa of Borobudur was once opened with the aim of looking for the possibility of finding valuable objects inside the stupa. It turned out that it was not a valuable object or a type of jewelry, but an unfinished or imperfect Buddha statue, which was inside the main stupa.
Several conservation efforts have been carried out, such as cleaning sugar and tree roots that grow on rock surfaces and between rock formations using chemicals. Attempts to duplicate the reliefs using the abklats technique have also been made, using cement, making them according to the temple wall reliefs, with cement and chemicals.
Furthermore, observations, documentation and conservation efforts were carried out by the government in 1900 by forming a commission consisting of three officials to research 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 Public Works Department.
In 1902, this commission submitted a three-stage proposal for a Borobudur preservation plan to the government. First, the existing danger must be overcome by reorganizing the corners of the building, by removing and removing stones that endanger other stones next to them, as well as strengthening the first ledge, and restoring some niches, arches, stupas, and restoration of the main stupa building .
Second, fence the temple grounds, maintain and improve the drainage system by repairing the floor and shower. Third, all loose stones must be removed, the monument must be cleaned up to the first ledge, stone fragments removed, and the main stupa restored. The total costs required at that time were estimated at around 48,800 Guilders.
Short Notes on the Restoration of Borobudur
One of the appreciations for the ancient site of Borobudur, began when it was rediscovered by Raffles in 1814. The government's attention gradually grew to save Borobudur through restoration.
Van Erp restoration
Theodor Van Erp is one of the figures who cannot be separated from the long journey of Borobudur Temple to date. This figure, better known as Van Erp, was the pioneer of the restoration of the first Borobudur Temple in 1907 – 1911. Van Erp, who was born in Ambon on March 26 1874, is not only known in the world of antiquities and archeology, but the wider public also knows this figure. Background: Van Erp himself was a military man who served and spent most of his time saving Borobudur Temple.
The first pioneer in opening the Borobudur stones after being covered for a long time by bushes and volcanic ash, so this building was abandoned. Van Erp received serious attention to Borobudur by carrying out restoration work. Then in 1907 restoration was started by Van Erp with a completion time of approximately 4 years.
The restoration process carried out by Van Erp is detailed with cost estimates and uses a systematic flow. The restoration was carried out from 1907 to 1911 using the principle of anastylosis and led by Theodor van Erp. The first seven months were spent excavating the ground around the monument to find missing Buddha heads and stone panels. Van Erp dismantled and rebuilt the three upper circular platforms and the stupa.
In the process Van Erp discovered many things that could be improved; he submitted another proposal, which was approved at an additional cost of 34,600 guilders. Van Erp carried out further reconstruction, carefully reassembling the chattra (umbrella made of three stacks of stones), which is the crown at the top of Borobudur. At first glance, Borobudur has recovered to its former glory. However, the chattra installation could not be considered its original form, so Van Erp dismantled the chattra parts again. Now the three-story mastaka or peak chattra of Borobudur is kept at the Borobudur Conservation Center.
Examining the technical problems that occurred during the restoration of Van Erp were water deformation and the presence of hill soil where this building was built. This water problem can be seen to have quite a big impact on the level of weathering of the stones that make up this building, especially on the stone relief walls. The position and location of the stones on the wall will interact directly with the hill's soil layer which is very vulnerable to seepage of hill ground water. Then water seepage that comes out through the cracks in the stone can cause salting.
This is one of the countermeasures to overcome the problem of water seepage and is the main objective in the restoration of Van Erp. So the initial work in the restoration carried out by Van Erp was an effort to return the stones to their original place. In the process of matching these stones, Van Erp uses the Anastylosis method, namely the process of matching stones in the anastylosis method with activities that do not allow interpretation of the structural shape of the stones without finding connections in the original stone material. This comparison is based on the structure and arrangement of the existing stones.
The restoration during the Van Erp era using the anastylosis method was an effort to restore the structural and architectural components of Borobudur while maintaining the principles of authenticity and integrity so that today we can see the integrity and splendor of its structural and architectural aspects. Efforts to install mortar in the gaps in the stone are intended to reduce the volume of water entering the soil structure of the temple hill. Excess water entering the hilly soil structure will cause the soil to become full, saturated and its carrying capacity to decrease, making it prone to landslides. Efforts to minimize the impact of water on maintenance conditions and threats to the temple structure are also applied to the corridors and steps.
Several things were carried out in the restoration of Van Erp, including strengthening the structure of the steps and walkways, as well as the walls and floor of the upper terrace (plateau). The sloping and sunken terrace floor was covered with a new special floor, and the sunken terrace walls were leveled with cement mortar. The sunken hallway floor was covered with special new flooring. In the stone gaps in the hallway floor that are not broken, they are closed with cement mortar.
Over a period of more than 100 years now, the results of the restoration carried out by Van Erp have survived to this day, especially in the hallways and floors of the plateau. The results of the restoration carried out by Van Erp are a form of emergency response to save the remains of the past which have extraordinary universal value.
Efforts to restore the structural and architectural components of Borobudur Temple were quite successful and have survived to this day. The principle of returning the shape to the original design and minimal intervention using new materials was applied in the Van Erp era, and this was the first milestone in how the principles of cultural heritage restoration in Indonesia were studied and applied.
The Van Erp restoration was also the starting point for the introduction and application of a stone matching method called the Anastylosis method. Starting from the preparation stage, initial planning carried out with a detailed scheme, the restoration of Van Erp has been calculated carefully and in detail. The principle of maintaining the original form is the main thing underlying all handling and reconstruction of Borobudur Temple.
UNESCO Restoration and the Indonesian Government
Small-scale renovations and restorations have been carried out since then, but are not enough to provide complete protection for Borobudur. From several records it is stated that before the second restoration of Borobudur, archaeological research and excavations had been carried out to find out more about the religious activities that had been carried out around Borobudur. During excavations around the temple, remains of bricks and various important artifacts were found. According to experts, it is clear that there used to be a monastery building close to Borobudur.
Looking at the first restoration by Van Erp, there are actually still several shortcomings such as sloping walls and handling water problems. Basically, this restoration aims to overcome damage to the foot of the temple or Kamadhatu section and to the roof or Arupadhatu level. Meanwhile, body parts or Rupadhatu levels cannot be fully restored.
The government had serious attention to Borobudur Temple during the Sukarno administration, which had plans to repair and restore Borobudur. In 1960, the idea was pioneered to overcome water problems and design water channels by creating one-way flow. At the end of 1963, several preparations, such as making drawings and sketches, began to be carried out to identify damage to Borobudur.
At the end of 1967, the Indonesian government conveyed to the international community about several problems at Borobudur, to assist Indonesia in rescue and restoration efforts to protect this monument. The international request to hold a Borobudur restoration project was carried out in 1973, to create a master plan for the restoration of Borobudur. The Indonesian government and UNESCO took steps to completely restore this monument in a major project between 1975 and 1982.
The foundations were strengthened and 1,460 relief panels were cleaned. This restoration was carried out by dismantling the five square terraces and improving the drainage system by embedding water channels into the building. Filters and waterproof layers are added.
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Chatra Pinnacle of Borobudur's main stupa Chattra (three-tiered stone umbrella) which crowns the peak of Borobudur. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Photo Screenshot arisguide. |
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Chandi Borobudur Restoration I (1907-1911) restoration of the top of the temple, namely the three circular terraces and the main stupa. Borobudur Temple after the Van Erp restoration. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Photo Screenshot arisguide. |
The foundations were strengthened and 1,460 relief panels were cleaned. This restoration was carried out by dismantling the five square terraces and repairing the drainage system by embedding water channels into the building. Filters and waterproof layers are added.
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Chandi Borobudur World Cultural Heritage Site since 1991, one of the views of Borobudur from the northwest. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Photo Screenshot arisguide. |
Save Borobudur
Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide.
Traveling and visiting with the aim of getting to know Borobudur more closely, studying its history, taking part in thematic tours and exploring Borobudur as a sacred Buddhist building is something very special, admiring the splendor and beauty of the architectural artistic value, is a form of appreciation and participation in preserving and protecting Borobudur which is a world cultural heritage site, Chandi Borobudur is the largest monument in the world.
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 glory 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.
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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. |
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.
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| '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.
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Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. photo Screenshot arisguide. |
Stepping on Borobudur
Chandi Borobudur is a World Cultural Heritage site which has noble and historical value for the Indonesian people, so that all eyes are amazed by the splendor and beauty of this monument.Borobudur is built on a hill in a plain surrounded by two mountains Sundoro-Sumbing in the northwest and Merbabu-Merapi in the northeast, in the north is Tidar hill, and in the south is the Menoreh mountains, and is located near the confluence of two rivers, Progo and Elo to the east.
Located Borobudur or Barabudur, the name Borobudur 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.
Pilgrims enter via the east side and begin the ritual at the base of the temple by walking in a clockwise circle around this sacred building, climbing the next steps through the three realms of Buddhist cosmology. The three levels are Kamadhatu (the realm of lust), Rupadhatu (the realm of form), and Arupadhatu (the realm of intangibility).
On their journey, pilgrims walk through a series of passages and stairs that climb up to see no less than 1,460 beautiful relief panels carved on the walls and balustrades.
According to history, Chandi Borobudur was abandoned in the 14th century as the influence of the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms in Java weakened and the influence of Islam entered. The world began to become aware of it when it was discovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who at that time served as British Governor General of Java.
According to Javanese legend, the area known as the Kedu plain is a place that is considered sacred in Javanese beliefs and is revered as the 'Garden of the island of Java' because of its natural beauty and fertile land.
Composed of 55,000 cubic meters of andesite stone (2,000,000 pieces of stone) and on the walls of the stone hallway there are relief carvings totaling 1,460 story panels which are divided into 160 Karmawibhangga story panels, 1300 Lalitavistara story panels, Jataka Avadana stories and Gandawyuha stories. Meanwhile, there are 1,212 decorative relief panels.
The sacred Buddhist building, Borobudur Temple, experienced a period of "neglect", the buildings and walls collapsed, were damaged and neglected. As a result of natural disasters and the eruption of Mount Merapi, the Borobudur temple building was covered in ash and soil which resulted in Buddhists living in the building area leaving Borobudur, as the history mentioned in the books "Babad Tanah Jawi" in 1709 and "Babad Tanah Mataram" in 1757.
In 1814, the people of Bumisegoro around Borobudur mentioned and reported the existence of a temple or sacred building that was buried and covered in soil, which was inside the hill, so it attracted attention for investigation. Borobudur Temple received serious attention and an investigation was started by Thomas Stanford Raffles, a British Governor General who was on the island of Java.
In history it is said that Raffles was the first person to discover Borobudur Temple. Raffles' building inauguration efforts were an important moment to introduce Borobudur Temple to the international world. Then by a Dutch engineer H.C Cornelius who was assisted by around 200 people for 45 days cleared the bushes covering the hill of Borobudur Temple.
The next cleanup effort was carried out in 1835, led by Hartman, a Resident of Kedu. In this era, the description of Borobudur Temple was also carried out by Brumun and the sketch was carried out by Wilson. In 1885, Jan Willem Ijzerman, an engineer who at that time served as the first president of Archeologische Vereniging Yogyakarta – Sarekat Arkeologi, and his team carried out excavations and discovered the base of Borobudur in the form of a series of long reliefs known as the Karmawibhangga reliefs. At that time, indigenous photographer, Kassian Cephas, was asked to photograph all 160 relief panels visible from the excavation results. After that, the series of relief panels are closed again.
Borobudur Temple has undergone several rescue and restoration efforts to restore its past glory and splendor. The first restoration of Borobudur Temple was led by Theodore van Erp, and was carried out in 1907-1911 and the second restoration was carried out in 1973-1983, the largest restoration was carried out through collaborative efforts between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and UNESCO, then this historic site was included in the list of Sites World Heritage – Unesco World Heritage 1991.
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Chandi Borobudur It consists of six square terraces topped with three circular courtyards. The walls are decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally there were 504 Buddha statues. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Photo arisguide. |
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View of Borobudur from Dagi Hill Built in the 8th-9th century AD, mentioned in two inscriptions; Karangtengah 824 AD and Sri Kahulunan 842 AD, by King Samaratungga from the Syailendra dynasty who ruled around 782 – 812 AD, with a Mahayana Buddhist religious background. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Photo arisguide. |
According to Javanese legend, the area known as the Kedu plain is a place that is considered sacred in Javanese belief and is revered as the 'Garden of the island of Java' because of its natural beauty and fertile land.
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Gunadharma legend about the Menoreh hills Little is known about the legend of the architect who designed Chandi Borobudur named Gunadharma, his name is more based on Javanese fairy tales and legends, not based on historical inscriptions. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Photo Screenshot arisguide. |
Chandi Borobudur experienced a building collapse and due to natural disasters and volcanic eruptions, this building was abandoned and buried in a hill. The stupas on the Arupadhatu terrace are covered with soil. Shrubs and large trees grow in the yard around the temple. The soil covering the temple was thrown around the hill. Stone ruins are piled up around the foot of the temple.
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 heyday of the Syailendra dynasty.
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Arupadhatu terrace stupas A row of three levels of hollow stupas with a total of 72 stupas and inside there is a statue of the Borobudur Buddha. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Photo arisguide. |
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