A visit to Borobudur is a journey through time. Amazing architecture and the precision with which every stone was cut and placed to create this massive temple. A must visit.

Borobudur Temple is a massive Buddhist compound located in the Province of Central Java, Indonesia. It is not too far from the city of Yogyakarta (about 42 kms or 25 miles). Scholars can't seem to agree when this monument was built, and many speculate that it came to exist between the 7th and 8th Centuries. One thing they seem to agree on is that it must have taken at least one hundred years to build, and that, for at least two hundred years, it was the center of Buddhist religion in Java! Borobudur was completed centuries before Angkor Wat in Cambodia!

The temple was abandoned centuries ago when the masses converted to Islam, and over time, it was covered by ashes from the many volcanic eruptions from Mt. Merapi. And then, the jungle took it over.

In 1814, Sir Thomas Raffles discovered it, and ordered the jungle cleared. Since then, it seems it has been under constant restoration, but the largest restoration project was conducted by the Indonesian government in the 1980's with help from UNESCO. Once the restoration was complete, Borobudur regained its magnificent beauty, and it was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as it is considered to have outstanding universal value.

About the monument:

The shape of this structure is that of a giant stupa and a mandala (from Wikipedia: "a mandala is a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically, a microcosm of the universe from the human perspective"). The structure represents a mythological model and it consists of various terraces built on the top of a hill; one can actually see the structure from several miles away!

Each terrace and wall of this ancient temple is covered with the most amazing intricate bas-relief panels depicting the teachings of Buddha. Concavities containing statues of Buddha are everywhere, and each passage or terrace signifies the many lives and many forms Siddhartha assumed, before achieving Buddhahood. Of course, while walking around you'll notice that many of the concavities are now empty, or contain decapitated Buddha statues... why? Because of the outrageous looting that took place several decades ago. Many of these stolen Buddha heads ended up in a wealthy person's mansion or museums around the world, and from what I heard from our guides, the looting continues, but to a lesser degree!

At the very top of the structure you will find the central stupa (signifying Buddha's enlightenment) and a symbol of eternity. Tourists many not enter the central stupa, only a Buddhist monk can do so. The central stupa measures in diameter approximately 10 meters or 32.5 feet... there's nothing in it... it is empty... it represents Nirvana.

There are 72 bell-shaped smaller stupas encircling the central stupa, depicting the spiritual world, and you may walk around the stupas and peek inside them. You'll notice that some stupas contain a sitting Buddha and others are empty. There is one particular stupa which houses a sitting Buddha with his legs crossed... legend has it that if you can reach in and touch one of the Buddha's crossed feet, any wish you hold dear will be granted.