◄ Borobudur, Indonesia [HD] ►

Summary

Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist monument in Indonesia, is a shrine and pilgrimage site. Estimated to be built during the 8th century by the Sailendra dynasty, it represents three stages of mental preparation in Buddhism with its nine platforms. Despite periods of abandonment and rediscovery, Borobudur's intricate reliefs and stupas have been restored, making it a top tourist attraction with millions of visitors annually.

Takeaways

• 🌏 Borobudur is the largest Buddhist monument in the world, located in Indonesia and known locally as Candi Borobudur.
• 🏛 It serves both as a shrine to Lord Buddha and a site for Buddhist pilgrimage.
• 🤔 The exact time and reason for Borobudur's construction are unknown, but it's estimated to have been built during the Sailendra dynasty in the mid-8th century.
• 🏰 Borobudur was part of a series of temples built during a time of power shifts between the Buddhist Sailendras and the Hindu Sanjayas.
• 🔍 Archaeologists believe there was no large-scale religious conflict on Java, despite the dynastic rivalry.
• 🏜️ The temple was abandoned for unknown reasons, possibly due to a shift in power or volcanic eruptions.
• 🗿 Borobudur was rediscovered in the 19th century by British Governor General Thomas Stamford Raffles and his expedition.
• 🛠️ Major restoration projects in the 20th century, including a UNESCO-led project from 1975 to 1982, helped to preserve and restore Borobudur.
• 📖 The temple's structure is based on Buddhist cosmology, with nine platforms representing different stages of mental preparation.
• 🎨 The lower platforms feature relief panels depicting Buddhist stories, while the upper levels contain numerous stupas with Buddha statues.
• 📐 The temple's design includes a 'hidden foot' with additional reliefs, possibly added to provide extra weight to the structure.

Q & A

What is the local name for Borobudur Temple?

The local name for Borobudur Temple is Candi Borobudur.

What is the historical significance of Borobudur in terms of its religious function?

Borobudur serves as a shrine to the Lord Buddha and is also a place for Buddhist pilgrimage.

When was Borobudur estimated to have been built?

Borobudur is estimated to have been built during the Sailendra dynasty in the mid-8th century.

How long did it take to complete Borobudur?

It took around 75 years to complete Borobudur.

What was the historical context of power dynamics during the construction of Borobudur?

The construction period was marked by power shifts between two rival families, the Buddhist Sailendras and the Hindu Sanjayas, both of whom built large temples.

Why was Borobudur abandoned?

The exact reason for Borobudur's abandonment is unknown, but it is believed to be possibly due to a shift in power to East Java and volcanic eruptions in the 10th century.

How was Borobudur rediscovered by foreigners?

Borobudur was rediscovered by foreigners in the early 19th century during the British rule of the Dutch East Indies by an expedition sent by Governor General Thomas Stamford Raffles.

What significant restoration project was undertaken for Borobudur in the 20th century?

A major restoration project was initiated by the Indonesian Government and UNESCO between 1975 and 1982, which included improving the foundation, cleaning the carvings, and installing a new drainage system.

What does the architectural structure of Borobudur represent in terms of Buddhist cosmology?

Borobudur is built to represent three stages of mental preparation linked to the worlds of Kāmadhātu (world of desires), Rupadhatu (world of forms), and Arupadhatu (formless world).

What is the significance of the relief panels found on the lower platforms of Borobudur?

The relief panels on the lower platforms depict stories from Buddhism, including the descent of the Lord Buddha from the Tushita heaven and his first sermon.

What is unique about the stupas found at the upper levels of Borobudur?

The upper levels of Borobudur feature seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large central stupa, with different decorations representing instability (diamond-shaped holes), stability (square holes), and eternity (solid main stupa).

What is the current status of Borobudur in terms of tourism?

Borobudur is the single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia with several million visitors each year.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 History and Significance of Borobudur Temple

The script introduces Borobudur as the world's largest Buddhist monument, known locally as Candi Borobudur, serving both as a shrine and a pilgrimage site. The exact origins of the temple are uncertain due to a lack of written records, but it is believed to have been constructed during the Sailendra dynasty in the mid-8th century, taking approximately 75 years to complete. Borobudur is one of several temples from this era in central Java, built amidst a power struggle between the Buddhist Sailendras and the Hindu Sanjayas. Despite the rivalry, there was no large-scale religious conflict, and different religious temples coexisted peacefully. The temple was later abandoned for unknown reasons, possibly due to a shift in power to east Java and volcanic eruptions. It was rediscovered in the 19th century by British Governor General Thomas Stamford Raffles, who initiated its restoration. The temple's history also includes tales of bad luck and a curse, with one notable incident involving the crown prince of the Yogyakarta Sultanate who died shortly after visiting the temple in 1757.

05:03

🛕 Architectural and Cultural Significance of Borobudur

This paragraph delves into the architectural and cultural significance of Borobudur, highlighting its function as a massive stupa, a Buddhist burial mound. The temple is structured around three stages of mental preparation in Buddhist cosmology, each represented by one of its nine platforms. The lower six platforms are square, symbolizing Kāmadhātu and Rupadhatu, the worlds of desires and forms, respectively. The upper three circular platforms and the main stupa represent Arupadhatu, the formless world. The walls of the lower platforms are adorned with relief panels depicting Buddhist stories, read in a specific direction by pilgrims following a clockwise ritual. The upper levels feature 72 small stupas surrounding a central, empty stupa, each decorated differently to symbolize the transition from the world of forms to the formless. The temple has suffered damage and theft over the years, with many Buddha statues missing or damaged. Additionally, a 'hidden foot' with reliefs was discovered under the base, possibly added for structural support. The paragraph also discusses the temple's connection with nearby temples Pawon and Mendut, which are aligned in a straight line and share a ritual relationship, forming a pilgrimage route for visitors.

10:11

🌏 Borobudur as a Modern Tourist Attraction

The final paragraph emphasizes Borobudur's status as Indonesia's most visited tourist attraction, drawing millions of visitors annually. It reflects on the temple's enduring fascination and allure, which has grown since its rediscovery and subsequent restorations, particularly the major project undertaken by UNESCO and the Indonesian government between 1975 and 1982. This restoration not only saved the temple from decay but also returned it to its former glory, making it a prominent cultural and historical site that continues to captivate the world.

Keywords

💡Borobudur

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist monument in the world, located in central Java, Indonesia. It is a significant site for Buddhist pilgrimage and serves as a shrine to the Lord Buddha. The temple's design and structure are central to the video's theme, illustrating the architectural and spiritual significance of the monument.

💡Candi

In Indonesian, 'candi' refers to ancient temples, which is a term used to describe the architectural heritage of the region. Candi Borobudur is the local name for the Borobudur Temple, emphasizing its cultural and historical importance in Indonesia.

💡Sailendra Dynasty

The Sailendra Dynasty is believed to have commissioned the construction of Borobudur in the mid-8th century. This dynasty played a crucial role in shaping the religious and cultural landscape of Java during its time, as indicated by the construction of several significant temples.

💡Relief Panels

The relief panels on the lower platforms of Borobudur depict stories from Buddhism. They are an integral part of the temple's artistic and religious expression, providing visual narratives that complement the spiritual journey of the pilgrims.

💡Kāmadhātu

Kāmadhātu is the world of desires in Buddhist cosmology, represented by the first platform of Borobudur. It signifies the initial stage of mental preparation for Buddhist practitioners, illustrating the temple's role in guiding individuals towards spiritual enlightenment.

💡Rupadhatu

Rupadhatu, the world of forms, is symbolized by the square platforms of Borobudur above the Kāmadhātu level. It represents a higher stage of mental preparation in Buddhist practice, reflecting the temple's architectural progression towards spiritual enlightenment.

💡Arupadhatu

Arupadhatu, the formless world, is represented by the upper circular platforms and the main stupa of Borobudur. It signifies the ultimate stage of mental preparation, where the practitioner transcends the world of forms to reach a state of formlessness.

💡Stupa

A stupa is a Buddhist burial mound for leaders and holy relics. Borobudur is essentially built as one massive stupa, with smaller stupas surrounding the main one, symbolizing the progression towards spiritual enlightenment and the formless world.

💡Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is a religious journey, and Borobudur serves as a destination for Buddhist pilgrims. The act of pilgrimage is deeply connected to the temple's purpose, as it embodies the spiritual journey towards enlightenment.

💡Restoration

The term 'restoration' refers to the process of repairing and preserving Borobudur, which has undergone several restoration projects since its rediscovery. The restoration efforts are crucial to maintaining the temple's historical and cultural significance.

💡UNESCO

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, collaborated with the Indonesian government in a major restoration project of Borobudur between 1975 and 1982. This collaboration highlights the international recognition of Borobudur's cultural heritage.

Highlights

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist monument in the world and is locally known as Candi Borobudur.

It serves as both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage.

The exact time and reason for Borobudur's construction are unknown, with estimates suggesting it was built during the Sailendra dynasty in the mid-8th century.

Borobudur took approximately 75 years to complete and is one of several temples in central Java from that era.

The Sailendra dynasty, being Buddhist, built Borobudur as their largest temple, contrasting with the Hindu Sanjayas' Prambanan temple compound.

Despite rivalry between the Sailendras and Sanjayas, there is no evidence of large-scale religious conflict on Java.

Borobudur was abandoned for unknown reasons, possibly due to a shift in power and volcanic eruptions in the 10th century.

Some believe Borobudur was used until the 16th century when the population converted to Islam.

Borobudur was not completely forgotten, with historical scripts mentioning it in the context of battles and misfortune.

The temple was first discovered by foreigners in the 19th century during the British rule of the Dutch East Indies.

Governor General Thomas Stamford Raffles ordered the full revelation of Borobudur after its initial discovery.

Borobudur's appreciation developed slowly, initially serving as a source of souvenirs and income for thieves.

A restoration project in the early 20th century focused on cleaning the sculptures and revealed a ritual relationship between Borobudur, Pawon, and Mendut temples.

In the late 1960s, a major restoration project by the Indonesian Government and UNESCO saved Borobudur from disintegration.

Borobudur is built as a massive stupa, representing the three stages of mental preparation in Buddhist cosmology.

The temple's nine platforms, six square and three circular, symbolize the progression from the world of desires to the formless world.

The walls of the lower platforms are adorned with relief panels depicting stories from Buddhism.

The upper levels feature 72 small stupas surrounding a large central stupa, symbolizing the transition from the world of forms to the formless.

Many of the original 504 Buddha statues are damaged or missing due to theft and vandalism.

A hidden structure under the base, discovered in 1885, also contains reliefs describing the world of desire.

Today, Borobudur is the most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia with millions of visitors each year.

Transcripts

Welcome to the largest Buddhist monument in the world; the massive Borobudur.

In Indonesian, ancient temples are known as candi; thus "Borobudur Temple" is locally

known as Candi Borobudur.

This amazing temple not only serves as a shrine to the Lord Buddha, but it is also a place

for Buddhist pilgrimage.

I will now tell you the history behind Borobudur, before going into detail why the temple looks

the way it does.

It's hard to say exactly when and why Borobudur was built, as there are no written records

to be found.

Archeoligists and historians estimate that it was built during the Sailendra dynasty,

in mid 8th century and took around 75 years to complete.

Borobudur is only one of several temples located in central Java built during this era.

This was an era where power shifted between two rival families, the Buddhist Sailendras

and the Hindu Sanjayas.

Both built large temples, this one being Saildendras largest temple and the Prambanan temple compound

was the Sanjayas greatest temple.

Even though these two dynasties were rivals, archelogogists have come to believe that there

was never a large scale religious conflict on Java, as temples of different religion

have been allowed to remain, even during times when the rival was in power.

Borobudur was later abandoned, for what reason is still unknown.

What is known is that the center of power moved from central Java to east Java in the

10th century and that several volcanic eruptions took place during the same period.

If the latter influenced the former is hard to say, but many say it is the most likely

reason for the abandonment.

Others believe it was used actively as a temple all the way into the 16th century, until the

majority of the population converted to Islam.

Again, the exact reason why it was abandoned is impossible say.

Even though Borobudur layed hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jugle growth;

the monument was not completely forgotten.

According the Javanese history scripts, smaller rebel battles have taken place close to the

temple and some notes associate the temple with bad luck and misery.

One script mentions the misfortune of the crown prince of the Yogyakarta Sultanate,

who despite the curse of the temple, payed it a visit in 1757.

Upon returning to his palace after his Borobudur visit, he fell ill and died the very next

day.

I hope you are not supersticiuous..

The temple was discovered for the first time by foreigners in the early 19th century, during

the short British rule of the Dutch East Indies.

The appointed Governor, General Thomas Stamford Raffles, had heard about a hidden temple in

the jungle in central Java and he decided to investigate it.

He sent an expedition of around 200 men who found the temple and started clearing it of

vegetation and dug away earth to reveal it.

Reports of the founding were sent back to the Governer, who ordered the temple to be

fully revealed.

The work on removing all the earth was finished in 1835.

Although fully exposed in all its beauty, appreciation of the site developed slowly

and it served for some time largely as a source of souvenirs and income for "souvenir hunters"

and thieves.

Borobudur started to receive some attention in the early 20th century, when a restoration

project was initiated.

Due to the limited budget, the restoration was primarily focused on cleaning the sculptures.

During this restoration, it was discovered that three of the Buddhist temples in the

region; Borobudur, Pawon and Mendut, are lined in one straight line position.

According to native folk tales, there used to be a brick-paved road with walls on both

sides connecting the three temples to eachother.

The three temples have similar architecture and ornamentation deriving from the same time

period, which suggests that some ritual relationship existed between the three temples.

In order to honor this relationship, the pilgrims of today start their pilgrimage from Mendut

and walk the distance to Pawon and Borobudur where they climb the temple.

In the late 1960s, the rather newly formed Indonesian Government initiated a major restoration

project in order to bring Borobudur back to its former glory.

They requested help from the international community in order to renovate and protect

Borobudur.

The Indonesian government and UNESCO then undertook the complete overhaul of the monument

in a big restoration project between 1975 and 1982.

The project involved more than 600 people and included improving the foundation, cleaning

of all the carvings and also a new drainage system.

These restorations saved the temple from slowly disintegrating and made Borobudur what it

is today.

Now that you know the history behind Borobudur, I will move on to tell you why the temple

looks the way it does.

Borobudur is essentially built as one massive stupa.

A stupa is a buddist burial mound for buddist leaders and holy relics.

According to the Buddhist cosmology, there are three stages of mental preparation.

Each one of these preparations is linked to one of the many worlds or "planes" that exists

within Buddhism.

Borobudur is based around these three stages of mental preparation where each platform

represents one of the three stages of mental preparation.

The temple has a total of nine platforms, of which the lower six are square and the

upper three are circular.

The first platform, the base, represents Kāmadhātu - the world of desires.

The rest of the square platforms represent Rupadhatu - the world of forms and the upper

three circular platforms, together with the main stupa, represent the formless world - Arupadhatu.

The walls on the lower platforms are covered in beautiful relief panels, depicting stories

from Buddhism.

The main part shows the descent of the Lord Buddha from the Tushita heaven and ends with

his first sermon.

The panels on the wall are read from right to left, while on the balustrade read from

left to right.

This conforms with the ritual performed by pilgrims who move climb the temple in a clockwise

direction while keeping the sanctuary to their right.

At the upper circular levels you will find seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large

central stupa.

When you look at the stupas, you will see that they are decorated in different ways.

The outer levels have diamond shaped holes, while the inner levels have square holes.

The diamond shaped holes stands for instability, the square holes for stability and the main

stupa is solid which stands for eternity.

This one again refers to the formless world - Arupadhatu -- and represents how the world

of forms changes to the world of the formless.

Each stupa holds a Statue of Buddha -- each one except the main stupa which is empty.

Of the original 504 Buddha statues covering Borobudur, over 300 are damaged and 43 are

missing.

Since the monument's discovery, Buddha heads have been stolen as collector's items, which

is the reason why many statues are headless.

In 1885, a hidden structure under the base was accidentally discovered.

When the "hidden foot" was fully reviled they say that it also contained reliefs which,

like the base, describe the world of desire.

Only a small part of the hidden foot can be seen, as majority of the hidden footare covered

in a stone encasement, for which reason is unknown.

The main theory however, is that the encasement base was constructed long ago to add extra

weight to the base, as the original base might have been incorrectly designed.

Today, Borobudur is the single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia with several

million visitors each year.

No wonder, as it is one of the most fascinating temples ever built.