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Borobudur Temple not only displays the arrangement of ordinary stone temples. Because on each wall, carved reliefs tell the long history of the Buddhist kingdom during the Syailendra dynasty. Because of this historical value, Borobudur Temple has become a tourist destination for domestic and foreign tourists.
A brief history of Borobudur Temple
Borobudur Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the world which was built during the Syailendra Dynasty or around 780-840 AD. After being completed, Borobudur Temple was lost from civilization because it was buried by lava and other materials caused by the eruption of Mount Merapi. Then, in 1814, Borobudur Temple was discovered by British troops, and under the leadership of Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles, the Borobudur Temple area was restored, cleaned, and repaired. This cleaning process was completed thoroughly in 1835.
Borobudur Temple has become a tourist destination that is worth a visit when visiting Magelang, Central Java. Once lost and rediscovered, Borobudur Temple has been included in the UNESCO version of the world’s wonder site.
The three zones in Borobudur Temple symbolize the phases of human life
Overall, the reliefs at Borobudur Temple are as many as 504 with meditation attitudes and six different hand positions. In addition, at Borobudur Temple there are three different zones, each of which symbolizes a phase of human life.
- Zone 1 Kamadhatu, namely the natural world seen and experienced by humans now. Kamadhatu consists of 160 reliefs that explain the Karmawibhangga Sutra, namely the law of cause and effect that describes human nature and desires.
- Zone 2 Rupadhatu, namely the transitional realm, namely the period of humans who have been freed from worldly affairs. Rapadhatu consists of a gallery of stone relief carvings and Buddha statues. In this zone there are as many as 328 Buddha statues that have relief decorations on their carvings.
- Zone 3 Arupadhatu, namely the highest realm, the house of God. Within this zone three circular porticoes lead to the central dome or stupa depicting the resurrection from the world. There are no ornaments or decorations of any kind in this zone, which symbolizes the highest purity.
Three museums inside Borobudur Temple
Not only can you enjoy the beauty of Borobudur Temple, but in the temple area, you can also enjoy three museums that you can visit for free. What are these museums? Check out the following.
- MURI/GUSBI Museum
The MURI Museum (Indonesian Record Museum), located in the Borobudur Temple area was founded by Jaya Suprana on January 27, 1990. Inside this museum, 1,300 record collections have been broken by Indonesians. Not only record collections but also art galleries and unique objects that you can enjoy here.
- Ocean Giant Ship Museum
Then not far from the MURI Museumis the Samudra Raksa Ship Museum contains a large ship called Samudra Raksa. Samudra mercury means protector of the oceans, called the protector of the oceans because the ship has sailed the oceans from Africa to Indonesia.
- Karmawibhangga Museum
Founded in 1983, the Karmawibhangga Museum or Borobudur Museum contains archaeological artifacts found around the Borobudur area. Massive restoration in this area was carried out from 1975 to 1982, assisted by UNESCO.
Route to Borobudur Temple
To get to the Borobudur Temple area, there are 2 ways that you can take if you are from Yogyakarta.
- Using the bus from Yogyakarta
From Yogyakarta, you need to go to the Jombor bus terminal to take the bus bound for Borobudur. Travel time is usually about one hour. After arriving at the Borobudur terminal, you can continue your journey by rickshaw, gig, or foot. However, if you are at Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA), you can take the Damri bus to Borobudur directly.
- Using a private vehicle from Yogyakarta
The main road to Borobudur from Yogyakarta is via Jalan Magelang. To get to Jalan Magelang, you can go to the Jombor bus terminal, then from Jombor, move north to Magelang City. After about 40 km, you will find the Muntilan Sharp Bamboo Monument. And shortly after the monument, you will meet the Palbapang T-junction (Mungkid Magelang), take a left. The distance from Palbapang to Borobudur is about 10 km.
Whether your trips take you on a long stroll on beaches, delicious cuisines, relaxing spas, and resorts, or urban attractions, additional research will give you the best experience for your visit. Get to know more about Borobudur by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.
