Borobudur Temple is one of the largest monuments in the world. Built in the seventh century. The whole shape of the temple resembles a lotus or flower, a flower that is considered sacred by Buddhists. The temple is located in Borobudur Subdistrict, Magelang Regency, surrounded by mountains, namely Mount Merbabu in the east, Mount Merapi in the northwest, Mount Sumbing in the south, and Mount Sindoro in the north.
Borobudur Temple is one of the greatest relics of the Syailendra Kingdom Dynasty which embraced Buddhism, during the time of Samaratungga’s reign from the Ancient Mataram Kingdom. This temple was built in the year 824, with a construction period of around 100 years, and to date has undergone two renovations. The first restoration was in 1907-1911 by Theodorus Van Erp during the Dutch colonial period, and the second in 1973-1983 by President Soeharto assisted by Unesco. This temple was built 300 years earlier than Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
The temple which is a world cultural heritage consists of 72 Terawang stupas, one main stupa, and 504 statues, with a temple height of 42 meters before restoration. The reliefs carved on around 1,460 temple stones tell about life. Borobudur Temple itself was built using volcanic rocks totaling more than two million stones, which are arranged in a terraced pattern of Kepunden.
The name Borobudur is taken from the word Boro which means temple or temple, and Budur which means hill. Then Borobudur is intended as a temple on a hill. This naming was first mentioned by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in his book entitled History of Java.
The Borobudur temple is divided into three parts of Buddhist philosophy, which you can trace from the base of the temple to the top, by passing 10 levels of the temple. The three parts of the philosophy are, Kamadhatu (world of desires), Rupadhatu (world-shaped), and Arupadhatu (formless world).
Many mysteries are stored in the Borobudur Temple, which until now cannot be revealed with certainty. However, the splendor and the magic are truly fascinating so visitors will always be interested in seeing it, even though they have visited many times. The ticket price for entering the Borobudur Temple complex is Rp. 30,000 for local visitors, and Rp. 135,000 for foreign tourists.
Read: Bali Nusa Penida or Ubud
If we are talking on travel tips to Borobudur then we must know the timing. The best time to visit Borobudur is early morning. The gate opened at 6 am. The beauty of the panorama of the volcanoes surrounding it is clear even though sometimes the fog covers it until 8 o’clock in the morning. Visitors walk 500 meters to the bottom of the hill and then climb a few steps to reach the foot of the temple. To watch the sunrise, you can use a private car or spend the night in hotels in the Borobudur area.
Borobudur Main Area
The boundaries of the Borobudur Village area include,
- North Side: Bumiharjo Village and Progo River which borders the Kec. Mungkid
- East: Wanurejo Village
- South Side: Tuksongo Village
- West: Karangrejo Village and Wringin Putih Village
