BOROBUDUR

Borobudur is the name of a Buddhist temple located at Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java. Location of the temple is approximately 100 km in the south-west of Semarang and 40 km northwest of Yogyakarta. This temple was founded by the Mahayana Buddhists around the year 800 AD the dynasty during the reign of Sailendra.

The name Borobudur obtained from : 

Many theories attempt to explain the name of this temple. One of them states that the name is probably derived from the word Sambharabhudhara, which means "mountain" (bhudara) where the slopes are located terraces. In addition there are some other popular etymology. Suppose borobudur word comes from the word "the Buddha" is due to shift into borobudur sound. Another explanation is that the name comes from two words "coal" and "beduhur". Said coal said to have originated from the monastery, while there is also another explanation in which the coal comes from Sanskrit which means temple or monastery complex and beduhur meaning is "high", or to remind the Balinese language means "above". So the intention is a monastery or hostel located in the high ground.

Historians J.G. de Casparis in his dissertation to obtain his doctorate in 1950 argued that Borobudur is a place of worship. Based on the inscriptions and Kahulunan Karangtengah, Casparis estimates, founder of the Borobudur is the king of the dynasty named Samaratungga Syailendra around 824 AD The giant new buildings can be completed at the time of her daughter, Queen Pramudawardhani. Development of Borobudur estimated half-century time-consuming.

Borobudur Structure
Borobudur berundak punden shape, which consists of six levels of a square, three-level circular and a circular main stupa as a peak. Also scattered in all levels-the levels several stupas.

Borobudur is a ten-story clearly illustrates the Mahayana school of philosophy. like a book, Borobudur describes ten Bodhisattva levels which must pass to reach the perfection of the Buddha.

The foot of Borobudur represents Kamadhatu, the world is still dominated by kama, or "low desire". This section is mostly covered by a pile of stone that allegedly made to strengthen the construction of the temple. In the closed structures have an additional 120 panels Kammawibhangga story. A small portion was set aside additional structure so that people can still see the relief in this section.

Four floors with walls above berelief by the experts called Rupadhatu. The floor is rectangular. Rupadhatu the world who have set themselves free from lust, but is still bound by the appearance and shape. This level represents the nature of that is, between nature and the natural bottom up. In part this Rupadhatu Buddha statues found on the wall niches above ballustrade or hallway.

Start fifth to the seventh floor of the walls not berelief. This level is called Arupadhatu (which means no tangible form or not). Circular floor plan. This level represents the nature of, where people are free from all desires and the bond forms and shapes, but have not reached nirvana. Buddha statues are placed in the stupa covered with holes as in a cage. From outside the statues were still dim.

Which describes the highest level being represented by the absence of a stupa, the largest and highest. Stupa described plain without the holes. In the largest stupa is a Buddha statue ever found in an imperfect or unfinished also called Buddha, which disalahsangkakan as Adibuddha statue, but through further research there has never been a statue at the main stupa, which was not completed sculpture was a mistake pemahatnya in the ancient times. according to the belief that one statue in the manufacturing process are not destroyed. Archaeological excavations conducted in this temple this page to find many statues like this.

In the past, several statues of Buddha along with the 30 stone reliefs, two lions, a few times-shaped stone, stairs and gates are sent to the King of Thailand, Chulalongkorn, who visited the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1896 as a gift from the Dutch Government as that.

Borobudur has no worship spaces like the other temples. That there are long passages that are narrow streets. The hallways surrounding the walled temple level by level. In these corridors is expected Buddhist ritual walk around the temple to the right. The shape of the building without room and terraced structure is alleged is the development of berundak punden form, which is a form of original architecture from prehistoric Indonesia.

Borobudur structure when viewed from above form a mandala structure.

Borobudur structure does not use cement at all, but the Interlock system is like Lego blocks that can be attached without glue.

Relief

At every level carved reliefs on temple walls. These reliefs read as counter-clockwise or called mapradaksina the Old Javanese language derived from Sanskrit meaning is daksina the east. These reliefs variety of story content, among other reliefs Jataka stories.

  Reading of the stories are always the starting relief, and ends on the east side of the gate at every level, starting on the left and right ends of the gate. So obviously that the east is the ladder up the real (main) and to the top of the temple, it means that the temple facing the east while the other sides of similar right.