My friends and I were happily taking photos at the top platform. The atmosphere around us was bustling with local and international tourists. For a moment, I glanced back.
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| Candi Borobudur |
A Japanese girl slowly approached the largest stupa that stood firmly in the center of the temple. She was incredibly beautiful. After stopping, she covered her hands. After standing before the stupa for a moment, she lowered her head and closed her eyes. Lost in the silence, the pilgrimage, and her own solitude amidst the crowd of laughing tourists, who took turns taking pictures of themselves on the temple. After a moment, she opened her eyes and raised her head again. Sensing attention, she looked at me. She smiled at me.
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| Candi Borobudur |
She took a camera from her pocket and handed it to me. I understood what her intention was. She turned her back to the stupa. I walked around, looking for a good angle to photograph her. After pressing the shutter button, I handed the camera back to her. "Thank you," she said. Then she walked around the rows of stupas again. And I rejoined my friends.
In my heart, I realized that all of us, crowded on the upper floor of the temple, were actually in a sacred Buddhist place. My friends, I, and the other tourists there should have been more sensitive in maintaining the peace at Borobudur Temple. This was written by Charles Roring.
Some info about Borobudur Temple
Borobudur Temple: A Journey to Enlightenment
Borobudur Temple Compounds, located in Central Java, Indonesia, stands as one of the world's greatest Buddhist monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Constructed in the 8th and 9th centuries AD during the reign of the Syailendra Dynasty, it remains the largest Buddhist temple on Earth.
A Masterpiece of Architecture and Symbolism
Built from approximately two million volcanic andesite stone blocks fitted together without mortar, Borobudur is an extraordinary feat of engineering. Its design is a three-dimensional model of the Mahayana Buddhist cosmos, shaped like a giant Mandala (a mystic symbol of the universe).
The monument is built on nine stacked platforms, comprising:
* Six square terraces below (representing the earthly realm).
* Three circular platforms above (representing the spiritual, formless realm).
The ascent through these levels symbolizes the path to Nirvana or enlightenment.
Intricate Reliefs and Statues
The temple's walls and balustrades are adorned with an incredible number of carvings:
* Bas-reliefs: Over 2,600 individual relief panels, covering a total surface area of 2,500 \text{ m}^2, illustrate the life and teachings of the Buddha and scenes from Javanese daily life during that era.
* Buddha Statues: The monument features 504 Buddha statues in total. Seventy-two small, bell-shaped, perforated stupas surround the large central stupa on the top circular platform, each containing a statue of the Buddha.
History and Rediscovery
After centuries as a center of pilgrimage, the temple was mysteriously abandoned sometime between the 10th and 15th centuries, likely due to a shift in power or the rise of Islam, and lay hidden under volcanic ash and jungle growth. It was rediscovered in 1814 by the British Lieutenant Governor of Java, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, and subsequently underwent major restorations, notably with the help of UNESCO in the late 20th century.
Today, Borobudur is not only Indonesia's most visited tourist attraction but also an active site for Buddhist worship, hosting the annual Vesak Day Festival to commemorate the birth, death, and enlightenment of the Buddha.
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