Borobudur Temple- Your Definitive Guide (photos)

Borobudur is the largest and widely hailed as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.  The colossal temple, composed of 55,000 square meters of lava-rock is erected on a hill  in Muntilan, Magelang, and is about 42 km from Yogyakarta city in Central Java, Indonesia.

This massive structure was built between AD 700 and  AD 850, (over 300 years prior to Cambodia's Angkor Wat, and more than 400 years before any of the great European cathedrals).  The monument comprises of a stepped-pyramid of six rectangular stories topped by three circular terraces, and a central stupacrowning this incredible architectural achievement on par with the great pyramids of Egypt.  The entire structure is in the form of a lotus, the sacred flower of The Buddha.

The Temple is adorned with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha sculptures.  A huge main dome, located at the very center of the top most platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupas.  Each of these Buddhas are performing a mudra or hand gesture indicating one of the five directions.  East, with the mudra of calling the earth to witness.  South, with the hand position of blessing.  West, with the gesture of meditation and north, the mudra of fearlessness.  And finally, the centre with the teaching gesture.  The name Borobudur is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit words 'vihara', 'Buddha' and  'uhr', which loosely translates as 'the Buddhist monastery on the hill'.

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Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction and  is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  But fear not as Balifornian Tours can get you there at times when you will not be inundated with tourists.  This is a "no miss" site on any Indonesian tour and we can help you get there with the least hassle possible and get you to all the secret spots while explaining this heroic achievement of human vision that others might miss.

Borobudur is included in Balifornian's Eco-Tour, Adventure Tour and The Photographer's Photo Safari.  Contact us today for details. m@balifornian.com

For more images of Borobudur please see our gallery.

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