Borobudur was built around the year 800 AD or the 9th century. Borobudur was built by the adherents of Mahayana Buddhism during the reign of Dynasty dynasty. This temple was built in the heyday dynasty dynasty. The founder of the Borobudur Temple, King Samaratungga originating from or dynasty dynasty dynasty. The possibility of this temple was built around 824 AD and was completed around the year 900 AD during the reign of Queen Pramudawardhani who is the daughter of Samaratungga. While the architects who contributed to build this temple according to the story of hereditary named Gunadharma.
Candi Borobudur
Borobudur own words based on the first written evidence which was written by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Governor General of the United Kingdom in Java, which gives the name of this temple. There is no written evidence that the older name in this temple of Borobudur. Only one of the oldest documents that show the existence of this temple is Nagarakretagama book, written by mpu Prapanca in 1365. In the book is written that this temple was used as a place of Buddhist meditation.
Meaning of the name Borobudur is "monastery in the hills", which comes from the word "coal" (temple or monastery) and "beduhur" (hills or high places) in Sanskrit. Therefore, in accordance with the meaning of the name Borobudur, then this place long ago used as a place of Buddhist worship.
This temple for centuries are no longer used. Then because of volcanic eruptions, most of the buildings covered with volcanic soil Borobudur. In addition, the building is also covered with various trees and shrubs for centuries. Then the building of this temple began in the days of forgotten Islam arrived in Indonesia around the 15th century.
In 1814 when the British occupied Indonesia, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles heard of the discovery of huge archaeological objects in the village of Magelang Bumisegoro. Due to the great interest the history of Java, then immediately ordered Raffles HC Cornelius, a Dutch engineer, to investigate the location of the discovery which was a hill covered with shrubs.
Cornelius assisted by about 200 men cut trees and remove shrubs that covered the giant building. Because the building considering the already fragile and could collapse, then report to the Raffles Cornelius invention includes several images. Since that discovery, Raffles was awarded as the man who started the restoration of Borobudur and the attention of the world. In 1835, the entire area of the temple has been unearthed. The temple is kept restored in the Dutch colonial period.
After Indonesia gained its independence, in 1956, the Indonesian government requested the assistance of UNESCO to examine the damage to Borobudur. Then in 1963, out of the official Indonesian government's decision to conduct the restoration of Borobudur temple with the help of UNESCO. However, this restoration was only really started on August 10, 1973. The process of restoration was recently completed in 1984. Since 1991, Borobudur designated as World Heritage or World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Borobudur temple is located in Magelang, Central Java, about 40 km from Yogyakarta. Borobudur has 10 levels consisting of 6 levels of a square, level 3 circular and a main stupa as a peak. At every level there are several stupas. Altogether there are 72 stupas in addition to the main stupa. In every stupa there is a statue of Buddha. Ten levels of Buddhist philosophy are the ten Bodhisattva levels that must be traversed to reach the perfection of the Buddha in nirvana. This perfection symbolized by the main stupa at the top level. Borobudur structure when viewed from above form a mandala depicting the structure of Buddhist cosmology and the human way of thinking.
On the fourth side of the temple there is a gate and ladder to the level above it like a pyramid. This illustrates the Buddhist philosophy that all life came from rocks. Stone later became the sand, then into plants, then into the insect, then a wild animal, and pets, and finally became a man. This process is known as reincarnation. The last process is to be the soul and finally into nirvana. Each stage of enlightenment in the process is based on the Buddhist philosophy of life depicted in reliefs and statues in the temple of Borobudur.
This huge building just a giant pile of stone blocks which have a total height of 42 meters. Each stone spliced without using cement or adhesive. These stones are only connected by patterns and stacked. The base of Borobudur temple is about 118 m on each side. The stones used approximately 55,000 cubic meters. All the stones were taken from the river around the Borobudur Temple. These stones are cut and then transported and connected with a pattern like a lego game. All without using glue or cement.
Meanwhile, relief began to be made after the stones are stacked and jointed finish. There are reliefs on temple walls. Borobudur has 2670 different relief. Relief is read clockwise. This relief illustrates a story that I read it starts and ends at the gate to the east. This suggests that the main entrance of the Borobudur temple facing the east like most other Buddhist temples.
