Central Java, Indonesia. Sailendra Dynasty. c. 750-842 C.E. Volcanic-stone masonry
The temple sits in cosmic proximity to the nearby volcano Mt. Merapi. During certain times of the year the path of the rising sun in the East seems to emerge out of the mountain to strike the temple's peak in radiant synergy. Light illuminates the stone in a way that is intended to be more than beautiful. The brilliance of the site can be found in how the Borobudur mandala blends the metaphysical and physical, the symbolic and the material, the cosmological and the earthly within the structure of its physical setting and the framework of spiritual paradox.
The monument consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. The
temple is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72
Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa.[1] It is the world's largest Buddhist temple,[2][3] as well as
one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.[
Designed in Javanese Buddhist architecture, which blends the Indonesian indigenous cult of ancestor worship
and the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana
The temple also demonstrates the influences of Gupta art that reflects India's influence on the region,
yet there are enough indigenous scenes and elements incorporated to make Borobudur uniquely
Indonesian
Context and content:
o The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage.
The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the
monument and ascends to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology:
Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of
formlessness).
The monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with
1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades.
Borobudur has the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world.
abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam
Today: Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year, Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the
monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction
The origin of the name “Borobudur” is uncertain (this does not stop art historians , etc. from speculating)
During the restoration in the early 20th century, it was discovered that three Buddhist temples in the region,
Borobudur, Pawon and Mendut, are positioned along a straight line.[19] A ritual relationship between the three
temples must have existed, although the exact ritual process is unknown.[
There is no written record of who built the Borobudur or of its intended purpose
The construction has been estimated to have taken 75 years and been completed during the reign of
Samaratungga in 825
during this time that many Hindu and Buddhist monuments were built on the plains and mountains around the
Kedu Plain
o Construction of Buddhist temples, including Borobudur, at that time was possible because Sanjaya's
immediate successor, Rakai Panangkaran, granted his permission to the Buddhist followers to build such
temples
o There is debate whether they were ‘rivals’ or that they co-existed in peace
Borobudur lay hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. The facts behind its
abandonment remain a mystery. It is not known when active use of the monument and Buddhist pilgrimage to it
ceased.
o Sometime between 928 and 1006, King Mpu Sindok moved the capital of the Medang Kingdom to the
region of East Java after a series of volcanic eruptions; it is not certain whether this influenced the
abandonment, but several sources mention this as the most likely period of abandonment
The monument was not forgotten completely, though folk stories gradually shifted from its past glory into more
superstitious beliefs associated with bad luck and misery. Two old Javanese chronicles (babad) from the 18th
century mention cases of bad luck associated with the monument
It was re-discovered by outsiders in the early 19th century and “Appreciation of the site developed slowly”
o A century later restoration began and progressed quickly
Today: used once again for religious purposes – including pilgrimage
o Tourism
o Conservation and challenges: volcanic eruption, earthquakes, shifting earth/erosion, and visitor ‘overload’
Form and Function:
Borobudur is built as a single large stupa and, when viewed from above, takes the form of a giant tantric
Buddhist mandala, simultaneously representing the Buddhist cosmology and the nature of mind
The original foundation is a square, approximately 118 metres (387 ft) on each side. It has nine platforms, of
which the lower six are square and the upper three are circular.[65] The upper platform features seventy-two
small stupas surrounding one large central stupa. Each stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative
openings. Statues of the Buddha sit inside the pierced enclosures
The design of Borobudur took the form of a step pyramid. Previously, the prehistoric Austronesian megalithic
culture in Indonesia had constructed several earth mounds and stone step pyramid structures called punden
berundak as discovered in Pangguyangan, Cisolok and Gunung Padang, West Java. The construction of stone
pyramids is based on native beliefs that mountains and high places are the abode of ancestral spirits or hyangs.
Use: Congregational worship in Borobudur is performed in a walking pilgrimage. Pilgrims are guided by the
system of staircases and corridors ascending to the top platform. Each platform represents one stage of
enlightenment. The path that guides pilgrims was designed to symbolize Buddhist cosmology
Building and features:
In 1885, a hidden structure under the base was accidentally discovered.[35] The "hidden footing" contains reliefs,
160 of which are narratives describing the real Kāmadhātu. The remaining reliefs are panels with short
inscriptions that apparently provide instructions for the sculptors, illustrating the scenes to be carved.[70] The real
base is hidden by an encasement base, the purpose of which remains a mystery. It was first thought that the real
base had to be covered to prevent a disastrous subsidence of the monument into the hill.[70] There is another
theory that the encasement base was added because the original hidden footing was incorrectly designed,
according to Vastu Shastra, the Indian ancient book about architecture and town planning.[35] Regardless of why
it was commissioned, the encasement base was built with detailed and meticulous design and with aesthetic
and religious consideration
Approximately 55,000 cubic metres (72,000 cu yd) of andesite stones were taken from neighbouring stone
quarries to build the monument.[71] The stone was cut to size, transported to the site and laid without mortar.
Knobs, indentations and dovetails were used to form joints between stones. Reliefs were created in situ after
the building had been completed
equipped with a good drainage system to cater to the area's high stormwater run-off. To prevent flooding, 100
spouts are installed at each corner, each with a unique carved gargoyle in the shape of a giant or makara.
Stupa or temple? Without the inner spaces seen in other temples, and with a general design similar to the shape
of pyramid, Borobudur was first thought more likely to have served as a stupa, instead of a temple.[71] A stupa is
intended as a shrine for the Buddha. Sometimes stupas were built only as devotional symbols of Buddhism. A
temple, on the other hand, is used as a house of worship. The meticulous complexity of the monument's design
suggests that Borobudur is in fact a temple
Little is known about Gunadharma, the architect of the complex.[72] His name is recounted from Javanese folk
tales rather than from written inscriptions
The basic unit of measurement used during construction was the tala, defined as the length of a human face
from the forehead's hairline to the tip of the chin or the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the
middle finger when both fingers are stretched at their maximum distance.[73] The unit is thus relative from one
individual to the next, but the monument has exact measurements
The main structure can be divided into three components: base, body, and top.[72] The base is 123 m Å~ 123 m
(404 ft Å~ 404 ft) in size with 4 metres (13 ft) walls.[71] The body is composed of five square platforms, each of
diminishing height. The first terrace is set back 7 metres (23 ft) from the edge of the base. Each subsequent
terrace is set back 2 metres (6.6 ft), leaving a narrow corridor at each stage. The top consists of three circular
platforms, with each stage supporting a row of perforated stupas, arranged in concentric circles. There is one
main dome at the center, the top of which is the highest point of the monument, 35 metres (115 ft) above
ground level. Stairways at the center of each of the four sides give access to the top, with a number of arched
gates overlooked by 32 lion statues. The gates are adorned with Kala's head carved on top of each and Makaras
projecting from each side. This Kala-Makara motif is commonly found on the gates of Javanese temples. The
main entrance is on the eastern side, the location of the first narrative reliefs. Stairways on the slopes of the hill
also link the monument to the low-lying plain
Reliefs:
o The bas-reliefs in Borobudur depicted many scenes of daily life in 8th-century ancient Java, from the
courtly palace life, hermit in the forest, to those of commoners in the village.
o It also depicted temple, marketplace, various flora and fauna, and also native vernacular architecture.
o People depicted here are the images of king, queen, princes, noblemen, courtier, soldier, servant,
commoners, priest and hermit.
o The reliefs also depicted mythical spiritual beings in Buddhist beliefs such as asuras, gods,
boddhisattvas, kinnaras, gandharvas and apsaras
o During Borobudur excavation, archeologists discovered colour pigments of blue, red, green, black, as
well as bits of gold foil, and concluded that the monument that we see today — a dark gray mass of
volcanic stone, lacking in colour — was probably once coated with varjalepa white plaster and then
painted with bright colors, serving perhaps as a beacon of Buddhist teaching
o Borobudur contains approximately 2,670 individual bas reliefs (1,460 narrative and 1,212 decorative
panels), which cover the façades and balustrades. The total relief surface is 2,500 square metres
(27,000 sq ft), and they are distributed at the hidden foot (Kāmadhātu) and the five square platforms
(Rupadhatu
o The 160 hidden panels do not form a continuous story, but each panel provides one complete
illustration of cause and effect.[81] There are depictions of blameworthy activities, from gossip to murder,
with their corresponding punishments. There are also praiseworthy activities, that include charity and
pilgrimage to sanctuaries, and their subsequent rewards. The pains of hell and the pleasure of heaven
are also illustrated. There are scenes of daily life, complete with the full panorama of samsara (the
endless cycle of birth and death)
many statues of various Buddhas.
o The Buddha statues are in niches at the Rupadhatu level, arranged in rows on the outer sides of the
balustrades, the number of statues decreasing as platforms progressively diminish to the upper level.
The first balustrades have 104 niches, the second 104, the third 88, the fourth 72 and the fifth 64. In
total, there are 432 Buddha statues at the Rupadhatu level.[1] At the Arupadhatu level (or the three
circular platforms), Buddha statues are placed inside perforated stupas. The first circular platform has 32
stupas, the second 24 and the third 16, which adds up to 72 stupas.[1] Of the original 504 Buddha
statues, over 300 are damaged (mostly headless), and 43 are missing. Since the monument's discovery,
heads have been stolen as collector's items, mostly by Western museums.
o At first glance, all the Buddha statues appear similar, but there is a subtle difference between them in
the mudras, or the position of the hands
