Monday, March 27, 2006
Borobudur
Borobudur is one of these places I have dreamed of visiting for years, but didn’t get around to go before this trip.
We could have taken a simple day trip from Bali to visit Borobudur, but this would not have enabled us to really see this amazing place. And on top of this, Borobudur is not the only site worth seeing in central Java. We selected to stay at a hotel in Yogyakarta, but if I had to decide now, I would most certainly choose to stay at the only hotel located right in the archaeological pack of Borobudur, to be able to see the sun rise over the monument.
We only had three days in Java and the first one was dedicated to Borobudur. We left Yogyakarta as early as possible to take advantage of the good morning weather.
Borobudur, the temple on the hill, is the largest Buddhist structure in the world. It is not just an amazing structure full of beautiful bas-reliefs — it is a complete initiation to Buddhist art, religion and customs.
It was built by the Hindu kings of the Sailendra dynasty between 750 and 842 AD; 300 years before Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, 400 years before work had begun on the great European cathedrals.
It features three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa.
The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of some 2,500 sq. m and these would stretches for 5 kilometers if placed end-to-end. Around the upper circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. 
Little is known of Borobudur’s early history. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles revealed Borobudur Temple in 1814. He found the temple in ruin condition and ordered that the site be cleared and surveyed.
As mentioned, the whole monument was conceived as an initiatory mountain, and conveys the visitor to the heart of the life of Buddha with strong iconographical details. The temple is to be ascended level by level by those seeking the enlightenment that corresponds with the unity of the shrine's top.
The most intricately adorned level features 160 carved panels depicting human joys and despair of the World of Desire. The 1300 bas-reliefs along the balustraded corridors of the square galleries forming the next five levels of terraces - the World of Form - represent scenes and teachings from the life of Buddha and the lives of 43 bodhisattvas: at this level, it is assumed that a person has achieved some mastery over worldly desires.
Finally, the three circular terraces are left plain except for the 72 perforated stupas, each containing a statue of Buddha: this World of Formlessness culminates in the bell-shaped but totally unadorned central stupa that is Nothingness and All, and symbolizes the Absolute.
Since around the 12th century, Borobudur lay forgotten, abandoned to the destruction wrought by dense tropical vegetation and earthquakes. The construction came almost completely loose, gradually turning into a shapeless mound. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Prambanan, the second place we wanted to visit, is the largest temple complex in Java, with 224 temples. Located about 30 minutes east of Yogyakarta, the temples are believed to have been built by King Balitung Maha Sambu in the middle of the ninth century.
There are three main temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma (all manifestations of God for the Hindu). 
The parapets of the structure are adorned with beautiful bas-reliefs depicting the famous Ramayana story.
The 40 meter high main temple of Shiva houses a magnificent statue of Shiva's consort, Durga. 
During the high season (Summer), it is possible to see a representation of the Ramayana in the open air theater located right behind the archaeological park of the temple.
We took advantage of our visit to Jogyakarta to visit some batik school and factories. They really do some amazing work.
