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is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. It contains the world’s most extensive collections of Buddhist reliefs. Situated in Central Java, near the ancient capitol Yogyakarta and Solo, its architecture is a blend of Buddhism and Indonesian indigenous tradition of ancestor worship. Borobudur Construction of the temple began in early 8th century at the height of Buddhism in SE Asia. Another Buddhist temple, Angkorwat in Cambodia, was constructed at the same time. By the 14th century, the Hindu kingdoms in Java was replaced by Islam. Thus for the subsequent 600 years the temple was neglected, laying hidden under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. It was Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was generally credited for its excavation in early 19 century. Borobudur is a single monument constructed of dark grey volcanic rocks, which wear ex- tremely well against hot sun and heavy rain. The temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa. The monument guides pilgrims and visitors through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades, until finally reaching the dome at the top, giving meaning to the Buddhist’s attainment of nirvāṇa. 1
