Travel Tips to Borobudur: History
According to the Karangtengah Inscription and Kahulunan, one might expect that the founder of Borobudur Temple was the Ancient Mataram King in the Syailendra Dynasty named Samaratungga, in 824 AD Some historians suspect that this temple was once a Buddhist monastery. In Sanskrit it is called “Buddhist Uhr Temple” which means “Buddhist Monastery on the Hill”, and then called Borobudur.
The area of the temple is 123 x 123 meters, and it was erected in the middle of an ancient lake that used to be the mouth of various rivers. Long after the lake was buried by sediments of lava from the surrounding mountains and became a plain. At the end of the 8th century, King Samaratungga built the Borobudur Temple by ordering an architect named Gunadharma, and construction continued until it was finished.
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For centuries, the splendor of Borobudur was buried in volcanic pulp, due to the eruption of Mount Merapi. Borobudur was discovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles, who received a report that there was an indication of the discovery of a hill filled with carved rocks, while visiting Semarang. Raffles then formed a commission team led by Cornelius to investigate the hill. In 1835, this historic site was cleared. Efforts to restore were carried out afterwards.
Unfortunately, in 1896, the colonial government handed over eight containers of Borobudur temple stones, including several reliefs, statues, stairs and doors, as gifts for the King of Siam who visited Indonesia.
A restoration that took place during 1973 and 1984 by the Indonesian government, much restored the glory of this temple site, and made this temple a destination for Buddhist pilgrimages. On January 21, 1985, this temple was damaged by a bomb attack. And in 1991, Borobudur Temple was inaugurated as one of the World Heritage Sites, by UNESCO.
Travel Tips to Borobudur: How to Get There
Borobudur is one hour from Yogyakarta and two hours from Semarang. The journey passes through small towns and paddy fields. Borobudur is located on the edge of a village called Borobudur Village, the majority of which are farmers and souvenir sellers. Along the way to Borobudur, you will be spoiled by the cool, fresh air typical of the city of Magelang, as well as the natural scenery between two mountains of Merbabu and Merapi.
An easy way to reach Borobudur is to rent a car, motorbike, or join a tour. You can rent it at your hotel or inn, you can even rent a car with the driver. If you take a taxi from the center of Yogyakarta City to Borobudur, the rate is around IDR 200,000,-and the exact price can be known from the Yogyakarta taxi counter which is IDR 190,000,-.
In addition, you can take public transportation. Take a bus or mini bus from the Yogyakarta bus terminal. There is a small bus directly from Yogya to Borobudur, which serves visitors every day, every 10 minutes. The best known Bus, named Cemara Tunggal, costs Rp. 12,000 one way. Then you go down at Mendut Temple. After that you can walk or rent a horse to Pawon Temple. Pawon Temple and Borobudur Temple are only about 300 meters away.
Transportation in Borobudur
There are mini trains or commonly known rabbit trains to get around the Borobudur Temple Park complex. Train rides which are also entertainment for children priced at a rate of IDR 5,000- per passenger for one round.
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Andong is easily found starting from the terminal, Borobudur market, to inside the temple complex to get around the temple area. You can rent it for IDR30,000,- per four passengers for one round, if you just go around the temple. But if you want to get around the village, the tariff is IDR 75,000,- with a route that passes through four villages.
You can also rent a bicycle from the hotel where you stay or in the Borobudur Temple area. Rental rates for onthel bicycles are around IDR 20,000,- per 10 hours, and regular bicycle rates range from IDR 25,000 per 10 hours. Or around IDR30,000 – IDR 50,000 for one day rental. Special temple area, bicycle rental rates IDR 10,000 and for tandem bikes IDR 15,000. The choice of using a bicycle is quite good if you want to explore other parts and villages around Borobudur.
