Borobudur, or
Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central
Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three
circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha
statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded
by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.
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
circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three
levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu
(the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the
journey the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and
corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.
Evidence suggests Borobudur was
abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in
Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Worldwide knowledge of its
existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British
ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians.
Borobudur has
since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration
project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and
UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists inIndonesia celebrate
Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited
tourist attraction
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