Borobudur Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the world and is located in Indonesia, on the largest of its islands, the Island of Java. It resembles a 9-level mountain with almost 35 meters high and its construction lasted for 75 years.
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| Borobudur Temple |
We tell you 10 curiosities that you surely did not know
1. The name of Candi is given to the Hindu or Buddhist temples in Indonesia, temples built mainly in the period of Indianization between the 4th and 15th centuries. Candi Borobudur was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. And its construction may have started in 800 AD.
2. The vast majority of the temples were built on flat surfaces, while Borobudur, settled between two volcanoes and two rivers, was built on a rocky hill at 265 m above sea level and 15 m above the floor of an ancient lake. already dry.
3. This incredible architectural monument consists of 6 square platforms topped by 3 circular platforms and is decorated with 504 Buddha statues and 2,672 relief panels.
4. Between AD 928 and 1006, Borobudur was abandoned because political, cultural and religious power shifted to eastern Java. After some volcanic eruptions, Borobudur was hidden and forgotten among the ashes and vegetation.
5. It was not until 1814 when Borobudur began to attract visitors from all over the world thanks to Mr. Thomas Stamford Raffles, the Island of Java was still under English rule. Borobudur's first monumental monograph comes to light in the year 1873. But the biggest renovation was led by UNESCO in 1973.
6. In 1900 during the restoration it was discovered that the 3 Buddhist temples in the region - Borobudur, Mendut and Pawon, are aligned in a straight line. Borobudur is built like a large stupa, and when viewed from the air experts say that it takes the shape of a Buddhist mandala and represents Buddhist cosmology and the nature of the mind.
7. Huge amounts of stones, approximately 55,000 cubic meters, were used in the construction of Borobudur. The stones were transported through nearby rivers. Stones that were cut to size and stacked without using mortar.
8. Borobudur Temple is equipped with excellent drainage system to prevent flooding. They provide 100 nozzles in each corner with uniquely shaped gargoyles carved with figures of giants.
9. The basic measurement of the unit used in the construction of the monument was called tala - the length of a human face from the hairline from the forehead to the tip of the chin, or the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the finger. middle when both fingers are stretched out to their maximum distance.
10. There is a special full moon day when thousands of monks come to the temple to celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. In 2018 the Waisak Festival will be held during the last days of May. At Routes Indonesia we would love for you to visit Borobudur that day.