:: Borobudur and Prambanan Temples Central Java
Travel Guides ::
BOROBUDUR BUDDHIST TEMPLE
OF CENTRAL JAVA
Borobudur is a ninth century
Mahayana Buddhist monument in 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 is located at the center
of the top platform, and is surrounded by seventy-two
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,
Kamadhatu (the world of desire); Rupadhatu (the world of
forms); and Arupadhatu (the world of formless). 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
fourteenth century decline of Buddhist and Hindu
kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to
Islam.[2] It was rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas
Raffles, the British ruler of Java. 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.[3] Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage, where
once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at
the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most
visited tourist attraction
Etymology
In
Indonesian, temples are known as candi, thus "Borobudur
Temple" is locally known as Candi Borobudur. The term
candi is also used more loosely to describe any ancient
structure, for example, gates and bathing structures.
The origins of the name Borobudur however are unclear,
although the original names of most ancient Indonesian
temples are no longer known. The name 'Borobudur' was
first written in the Sir Thomas Raffles book on Java
history.[8] Raffles wrote about a monument called
borobudur, but there are no older documents suggesting
the same name. The only old Javanese manuscript that
hints at the monument as a holy Buddhist sanctuary is
Nagarakertagama, written by Mpu Prapanca in 1365.
The name 'Bore-Budur', and thus 'BoroBudur', is thought
to have been written by Raffles in English grammar to
mean the nearby village of Bore; most candi are named
after a nearby village. If it followed Javanese
language, the monument should have been named 'BudurBoro'.
Raffles also suggested that 'Budur' might correspond to
the modern Javanese word Buda ('ancient') - i.e.,
'ancient Boro'. However, another archaeologist suggests
the second component of the name ('Budur') comes from
Javanese term bhudhara (or mountain)
Location
Ap
proximately
40 kilometers (25 mi) northwest of Yogyakarta, Borobudur
is located in an elevated area between two twin
volcanoes, Sundoro-Sumbing and Merbabu-Merapi, and two
rivers, the Progo and the Elo. According to local myth,
the area known as Kedu Plain is a Javanese 'sacred'
place and has been dubbed 'the garden of Java' due to
its high agricultural fertility. Besides Borobudur,
there are other Buddhist and Hindu temples in the area,
including the Prambanan temples compound. During the
restoration in the early 1900s, it was discovered that
three Buddhist temples in the region, Borobudur, Pawon
and Mendut, are lined in one straight line position.[12]
It might be accidental, but the temples' alignment is in
conjunction with a native folk tale that a long time
ago, there was a brick
-paved
road from Borobodur to Mendut with walls on both sides.
The three temples (Borobodur–Pawon–Mendut) have similar
architecture and ornamentation derived from the same
time period, which suggests that ritual relationship
between the three temples, in order to have formed a
sacred unity, must have existed, although exact ritual
process is yet unknown.
Unlike other temples, which were built on a flat
surface, Borobudur was built on a bedrock hill, 265 m
(869 ft) above sea level and 15 m (49 ft) above the
floor of the dried-out paleolake.[13] The lake's
existence was the subject of intense discussion among
archaeologists in the twentieth century; Borobudur was
thought to have been built on a lake shore or even
floated on a lake. In 1931, a Dutch artist and a scholar
of Hindu and Buddhist architecture, W.O.J. Nieuwe
nkamp,
developed a theory that Kedu Plain was once a lake and
Borobudur initially represented a lotus flower floating
on the lake.[10] Lotus flowers are found in almost every
Buddhist work of art, often serving as a throne for
buddhas and base for stupas. The architecture of
Borobudur itself suggests a lotus depiction, in which
Buddha postures in Borobudur symbolize the Lotus Sutra,
mostly found in many Mahayana Buddhism (a school of
Buddhism widely spread in the east Asia region) texts.
Three circular platforms on the top are also thought to
represent a lotus leaf. Nieuwenkamp's theory, however,
was contested by many archaeologists because the natural
environment surrounding the monument is a dry land.
Geologists, on the other hand, support Nieuwenkamp's
view, pointing out clay sediments found near the site. A
study of stratigraphy, sediment and pollen samples
conducted in 2000 supports the existence of a paleolake
environment near Borobudur,which tends to confirm
Nieuwenkamp's theory. The lake area fluctuated with time
and the study also proves that Borobudur was near the
lake shore circa thirteenth and fourteenth century.
River flows and volcanic activities shape the
surrounding landscape, including the lake. One of the
most active volcanoes in Indonesia, Mount Merapi, is in
the direct vicinity of Borobudur and has been very
active since the Pleistocene
History
Th
ere
is no written record of who built Borobudur or of its
intended purpose.[ The construction time has been
estimated by comparison between carved reliefs on the
temple's hidden foot and the inscriptions commonly used
in royal charters during the eight and ninth centuries.
Borobudur was likely founded around 800 AD.[16] This
corresponds to the period between 760–830 AD, the peak
of the Sailendra dynasty in central Java, when it was
under the influence of the Srivijayan Empire. The
construction has been estimated to have taken 75 years
and been completed during the reign of Samaratungga in
825.
There is confusion between Hindu and Buddhist rulers in
Java around that time. The Sailendras were known as
ardent followers of Lord Buddha, though stone
inscriptions found at Sojomerto suggest they may have
been Hindus.[18] It was during this time that many Hindu
and Buddhist monuments were built on the plains and
mountain around the Kedu Plain. The Buddhist monuments,
including Borobudur, were erected around the same time
as the Hindu Shiva Prambanan temple compound. In 732 AD,
the Shivaite King Sanjaya commissioned a Hindu Shiva
lingga sanctuary to be built on the Ukir hill, only 10
km (6.2 miles) east of Borobudur.
Con
struction
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. In fact, to
show his respect, Panangkaran gave the village of
Kalasan to the Buddhist community, as is written in the
Kalasan Charter dated 778 AD. This has led some
archaeologists to believe that there was never serious
conflict concerning religion in Java as it was possible
for a Hindu king to patronize the establishment of a
Buddhist monument; or for a Buddhist king to act
likewise.[22] However, it is likely that there were two
rival royal dynasties in Java at the time—the Buddhist
Sailendra and the Saivite Sanjaya—in which the latter
triumphed over their rival in the 856 battle on the
Ratubaka plateau. This confusion also exists regarding
the Lara Jonggrang temple at the Prambanan complex,
which was believed that it was erected by the victor
Rakai Pikatan as the Sanjaya dynasty's reply to
Borobudur,but others suggest.
Rediscovery
Following the Anglo-Dutch Java War, Java was under
British administration from 1811 to 1816. The appo
inted
governor was Lieutenant Governor-General Thomas Stamford
Raffles, who took great interest in the history of Java.
He collected Javanese antiques and made notes through
contacts with local inhabitants during his tour
throughout the island. On an inspection tour to Semarang
in 1814, he was informed about a big monument deep in a
jungle near the village of Bumisegoro. He was not able
to make the discovery himself and sent H.C. Cornelius, a
Dutch engineer, to investigate.
In two months, Cornelius and his 200 men cut down trees,
burned down vegetation and dug away the earth to reveal
the monument. Due to the danger of collapse,
he could not unearth all galleries. He reported his
findings to Raffles including various drawings. Although
the discovery is only mentioned by a few sentences,
Raffles has been credited with the monument's recovery,
as one who had brought it to the world's attention.
Hartmann, a Dutch administrator of the Kedu region,
continued Cornelius' work and in 1835 the whole complex
was finally unearthed. His interest in Borobudur was
more personal than official. Hartmann did not write any
reports of his activities; in particular, the alleged
story that he discovered the large statue of Buddha in
the main stupa.[26] In 1842, Hartmann investigated the
main dome although what he discovered remains unknown as
the main stupa remains empty.
The Dutch East Indies government then commissioned F.C.
Wilsen, a Dutch engineering official, who studied the
monument and drew hundreds of relief sketches. J.F.G.
Brumund was also appointed to make a detailed study of
the monument, which was completed in 1859. The
government intended to publish an article based on
Brumund study supplemented by Wilsen's drawings, but
Brumund refused to cooperate. The government then
commissioned another scholar, C. Leemans, who compiled a
monograph
based on Brumund's and Wilsen's sources. In 1873, the
first monograph of the detailed study of Borobudur was
published, followed by its French translation a year
later. The first photograph of the monument was taken in
1873 by a Dutch-Flemish engraver, Isidore van Kinsbergen.
Appreciation of the site developed slowly, and it served
for some time largely as a source of souvenirs and
income for "souvenir hunters" and thieves. In 1882, the
chief inspector of cultural artifacts recommended that
Borobudur be entirely disassembled with the relocation
of reliefs into museums due to the unstable condition of
the monument. As a result, the government appointed
Groenveldt, an archeologist, to undertake a thorough
investigation of the site and to assess the actual
condition of the complex; his report found that these
fears were unjustified and recommended it be left
intact.
.
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PRAMBANAN HINDUS TEMPLE OF
CENTRAL JAVA
Pr
ambanan
is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia,
located in Central Java, approximately 18 km east of
Yogyakarta.
The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of
the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is
characterised by its tall and pointed architecture,
typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the 47m
high central building inside a large complex of
individual temples.
History
It was built
around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the
second Mataram dynasty, or Balitung Maha Sambu, during
the Sanjaya Dynasty. Not long after its construction,
the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate.
Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918. The main
building was completed in around 1953. Much of the
original stonework has been stolen and reused at remote
construction sites. A temple will only be rebuilt if at
least 75% of the original stones are available, and
therefore only the foundation walls of most of the s
maller
shrines are now visible and with no plans for their
reconstruction.
The temple was damaged during the earthquake in Java in
2006. Early photos suggest that although the complex
appears to be structurally intact, damage is
significant. Large pieces of debris, including carvings,
were scattered over the ground. The temple has been
closed to the public until damage can be fully assessed.
The head of Yogyakarta Archaeological Conservation
Agency stated that: "it will take months to identify the
precise damage".[2] However, some weeks later in 2006
the site re-opened for visitors. The immediate
surroundings of the Hindu temples remain off-limits for
safety reasons.
The complex
The
compound
is assembled of eight main shrines or candis, and more
than 250 surrounding individual candis. The three main
shrines, called Trisakti (Ind. "three sacred places"),
are dedicated to the three gods: Shiva the Destroyer,
Vishnu the Keeper and Brahma the Creator.
The Shiva shrine at the center contains four chambers,
one in every cardinal direction. While the first
contains a three meter high statue of Shiva, the other
three contain smaller statues of Durga, his wife,
Agastya, a risi, and Ganesha, his son.
The shrine of Durga is also called the temple of Loro
Jonggrang (slender virgin), after a Javanese princess,
daughter of King Boko. She was forced to marry a man she
did not love, Bandung Bondowoso. After long negotiations
she eventually agreed to the marriage, under the
condition that her prince should build her a temple
ornamented with 1000
statues,
between the setting and the rising of the sun.
Helped by supernatural beings, the prince was about to
succeed. So the princess ordered the women of the
village to set a fire in the east of the temple,
attempting to make the prince believe that the sun was
about to rise. As the cocks began to crow, fooled by the
light, the supernatural helpers fled. The prince,
furious about the simple trick, changed Loro Jongrang to
stone. She became the last and the most beautiful of the
thousand statues.
The two other main shrines
are that of Vishnu, to the north, and the one of Brahma,
facing to the south. In front of each main temple is a
smaller candis on the east side, dedicated to the mounts
of the respective god - the bull Nandi for Shiva, the
gander Angsa for Brahma, and Vishnu's Eagle Garuda,
which serves as the national symbol of Indonesia (cf.
also to the airline Garuda Indonesia).
The bas-reliefs along the twenty sides of the temple
depict the Ramayana legend. They illustrate how
Sita, the wife of Rama, is abducted by an evil ogre. The
monkey king Hanuman brings his army to help Rama and
rescue Sita. This story is also shown by the Ramayana
Ballet, regularly performed at full moon in front of the
illuminated Prambanan complex.
The temple complex is surrounded by more than 250
individual temples of different sizes, called Pewara,
believed to have been offered to the king as a sign of
submission. The Pewara are arranged in four rows around
the central temples, according to the rank of the people
allowed to enter them. While the central row was
accessible to the priests only, the other three were
reserved for the nobles, the knights and the simple
people respectively.
Not far to the west are found Candi Kalasan and Candi
Sari, and to the south the Ratu Boko on higher ground.
Each provides further clues and details of the
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YOGYAKARTA TOUR PACKAGE
3 days / 2 nights
DAY 01 ARRIVAL
Arrive in airport Yogya, meeting service and direct
transfer to hotel for overnight at hotel.
DAY 02 CITY TOUR - BOROBUDUR
Morning Borobudur tours included Pawon & Mendut Temple
and than drive to Yogya proceed Yogyakarta City Tour
visiting Sultan Royal Palace, Ngasem Bird Market, Water
Castle (Taman Sari), Batik Home Industry and Silverwork at
Kotagede. Included Lunch at local restaurant. Return to
hotel.
DAY 03 PRAMBANAN - OUT
Proceed Prambanan temple tour, Lunch at local
restaurant, then transfer to airport for next destination.
YOGYA TOUR PACKAGE
3 days / 2 nights
DAY 01 ARRIVAL
Arrive in airport Yogya, meeting service and direct transfer
to hotel for overnight at hotel.
DAY 02 CITY TOUR - BOROBUDUR
Morning Borobudur tours included Pawon & Mendut Temple
and than drive to Yogya proceed Yogyakarta City Tour
visiting Sultan Royal Palace, Ngasem Bird Market, Water
Castle (Taman Sari), Batik Home Industry and Silverwork at
Kotagede. Included Lunch at local restaurant. Return to
hotel.
DAY 03 PRAMBANAN - OUT
Proceed Prambanan temple tour, Lunch at local restaurant,
then transfer to airport for next destination.
YOGYA SOLO TOUR PACKAGE
3 days / 2 nights
DAY 01 ARRIVAL - BOROBUDUR
Meeting services at airport and direct lunch local
restaurant. After lunch, visit Borobudur temple including
Pawon and Mendut temples. Overnight at hotel.
DAY 02 PRAMBANAN - SOLO
Drive to Solo for Solo sightseeing to visit Mangkunegaran
Palace, Radya Pustaka Museum and Triwindhu Antique Market.
Lunch at local restaurant. On the way back to Yogyakarta,
stop at Prambanan temple. Return to hotel.
DAY 03 CITY TOUR - OUT
Proceed Yogyakarta City Tour visiting Sultan Royal Palace,
Ngasem Bird Market, Water Castle (Taman Sari), Batik Home
Industry and Silverwork at Kotagede. Transfer to airport for
next destination.
YOGYA SOLO TOUR PACKAGE
4 days / 3 nights
DAY 01 ARRIVAL YOGYA
Meeting service at airport and direct transfer to your hotel
for overnight.
DAY 02 PRAMBANAN – SOLO
Then drive to Solo to proceed Solo sighseeing, visits
Mangkunegaran palace, Triwindhu Flea Market and Radya
Pustaka museum. Lunch will be served at local restaurant. On
the way back to Yogya, stop at Prambanan temple. Back to
hotel for overnight.
DAY 03 BOROBUDUR YOGYA SIGHTSEEING
Morning Borobudur tours included Pawon & Mendut Temple
and than drive to Yogya proceed Yogyakarta City Tour
visiting Sultan Royal Palace, Ngasem Bird Market, Water
Castle (Taman Sari), Batik Home Industry and Silverwork at
Kotagede. Included Lunch at local restaurant. Return to
hotel.
DAY 04 FAREWELL YOGYA
Free time until transfer time to airport for catch your
flight.
YOGYA DIENG PLATEAU TOUR
PACKAGE
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS
DAY 01 ARRIVAL - PRAMBANAN
Arrive in Adi Sucipto airport, Yogyakarta then direct
lunch at local restaurant and continued to Prambanan temple,
to see the most beautiful Hindu temple in central Java. Then
transfer to hotel for overnight.
DAY 02 DIENG - BOROBUDUR
Early morning leaving for Dieng Plateau via Wonosobo
passing through the beautiful countryside and vegetable
plantation. Arrive in Dieng Plateau enjoying the oldesst
Hindu temple complex in Java in elevation 6,000 feet. Lunch
at local restaurant. On the way back to Yogyakarta visit
Borobudur temple. Arrive at hotel for overnight.
DAY 03 CITY TOUR YOGYA
Proceed Yogyakarta City Tour visiting Sultan Royal Palace,
Ngasem Bird Market, Water Castle (Taman Sari), Batik Home
Industry and Silverwork at Kotagede. Lunch at local
restaurant. Back to hotel. The rest of the day is free for
your own leisure.
DAY 04 FAREWELL YOGYA
Free time until the transfer time to airport for catch
your flight.
YOGYA - BOROBUDUR SUNRISE
2 days / 1 night
DAY 01 ARRIVAL YOGYA
Upon arrival in Yogya by GA 247 ETA 15.40, meet and reet
by your guide and direct transfer to Manohara Hotel via
Godean Villae (rice fields view, villages, etc). It will
take about 1,5 hours on drive. Check in Manohara. Dinner at
hotel.
DAY 02 BOROBUDUR SUNRISE - PRAMBANAN - CITY TOUR
Morning, climbing up the Borobudur tempe for welcoming
the beautiful sunrise. Then, exploring the story of the
Budha Gautama story on the relief (on walk). Back to your
hotel for breakfast. After take a rest and breakfast, check
out time and drive to Yogyakarta to explore the cty with
visit Kraton Yogyakarta, Taman Sari, Batik Home Industry and
Silversmith Industry with their processing and collection.
Drive to nDalem nGabean (first priority) or similar for
having Indonesia Buffet Lunch. After that, drive to Wayang
Gallery for enjoying the short performance of Wayang Kulit
(Leather Puppet Show) with its processing and collection.
Our last tour is visiting Prambanan Temple - the most
beautiful Hindu temple in Central Java. Then, terminated the
tour to Adi Sucipto airport for flight home.
YOGYA & BEYOND TOUR - "EXOTIC
TRIP"
5 days / 4 nights
DAY 01 ARRIVAL YOGYA
Upon arrival in Yogya airport, meet and greet by your
friendly guide, then direct proceed Yogya City Tour visiting
Sultan Royal Palace, "Ngasem" Bird Market, Water Castle (Taman
Sari), processing of batik at Batik Home Industry, and
processing of silverware at Kotagede. Lunch at local
restaurant (Indonesian Menu Buffet). PM. Prambanan Temple
tour. Check in to your hotel. BATIK PALACE HOTEL.
DAY 02 BOROBUDUR SUNRISE - PRAMBANAN - CITY TOUR
After breakfast, drive for Borobudur temple via Godean
villag passing through the morning life of people with their
activity on the market, rice-fields, school, and others (it
is possible to stop to admire them). After exploring the
Buddhist temple of Borobudur with its tory of Budha on the
relief, you will visit Pawon and Mendut temple to complete
the story of Borobudur. Then drive for Wonosobo with lunch
at local restaurant. Overnight at KRESNA HOTEL Wonosobo.
DAY 03 SUNRISE DIENG PLATEAU - TLOGO PLANTATION (BLD)
Early morning, drive to Dieng Plateau, and continued
with a short trekking to one of the top hill welcoming the
beautiful sunrise. Then, exploring the oldest Hindu temple
complex in Java will be enjoyed and visited. Some still
active craters and color lakes are the next visits. While
taking a deep breath of morning fresh air, you could enjoy
the morning life of Dieng's people starting their ork in
their vegetable. Back to hotel for having breakfast. On the
way to hotel, tit is possible to stop at thea plantation and
traditional market. Freetime for your own leisure. PM, drive
for Tlogo - a plantation of rubber and coffee lovated on the
way to Solo. On the way to Tlogo, you will visit Ambarawa
Railway Museum. Lunch at local restaurant. Overnight and
dinner at TLOGO AGRO RESORT.
DAY 04 SUNRISE DIENG PLATEAU - TLOGO PLANTATION
Early morning, drive to Dieng Plateau, and continued
with a short trekking to one of the top hill welcoming the
beautiful sunrise. Then, exploring the oldest Hindu temple
complex in Java will be enjoyed and visited. Some still
active craters and color lakes are the next visits. While
taking a deep breath of morning fresh air, you could enjoy
the morning life of Dieng's people starting their ork in
their vegetable. Back to hotel for having breakfast. On the
way to hotel, tit is possible to stop at thea plantation and
traditional market. Freetime for your own leisure. PM, drive
for Tlogo - a plantation of rubber and coffee lovated on the
way to Solo. On the way to Tlogo, you will visit Ambarawa
Railway Museum. Lunch at local restaurant. Overnight and
dinner at TLOGO AGRO RESORT.
DAY 05 TLOGO PLANTATION TOUR - DRIVE SOLO
Early morning, plantation tour. With the farmers, you
will see the process in making rubber starting from taking
the rubber oil till the processing in the factory. Also,
feel how the farmers take a coffee fruit. Breakfast and
lunch will be served at the guest - house. PM, enjoy the
beauty of The Sindoro - Sumbing Valley, with coffee
plantation and cascading rice terraces, as we drive up to
Mt. Ungaran. Take a little exercise to get to Gedong Songo
(9 buildings) temple on foot, where you can see hear, and
feel Gedong Songo's tranquility. Drive for Solo, sightseeing
with visit Kraton Mangkunegaran, Trindhu Flea Market, and
Radya Museum. Lunch at local restaurant. Drive for Yogya.
Terminated the tour to Adi Sucipto airport for next
destination.
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