CANDI BOROBUDUR

The Borobudur Temple Compounds is one of the remnants of Indonesia's ancient civilization. Located in Magelang, Central Java, the temple was built during the rise of Buddhism in the archipelago nation. Like any other temples, Borobudur functions as a place of worship and religious ceremonies. Unlike the others, however, Borobudur is also an important historical asset for the country. Since December 31st, 1991, Borobudur has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage.

The temple, which has become a historical tourist site, was rediscovered by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1814. According to J. Dumarcy in his book Borobudur: Prayer in Stone, Borobudur was built in five steps. The first step took place around year 780, then the second in year 792, the third in year 824, and the fourth and fifth steps around year 833. The Syailendra era temple was built with blocks of andesite rocks, stacked like the pyramids in Egypt. Statues of Buddha adorn the many corners of Borobudur, but they are not the only addition to the temple. Four reliefs decorate the walls of Borobudur, each telling a story of its own. They are the Karmawibhannga Relief, the Lalitavistara Relief, the Jataka-Avdana Relief, and the Gandavyuha Relief.