Mysteria
Borobudur
Verified7.6078° S · 110.2036° E · 235 m

Borobudur

Candi Borobudur · Barabudur

Medang Kingdom Sailendra 780–835 CE·Mahayana Buddhist under Sailendra dynasty central Java·🇮🇩 Central Java, Indonesia

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Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0

About

About Borobudur

Largest Buddhist monument worldwide (c.780–835 CE) at Borobudur: 9-tier Mandala mountain 35 m high, 123×123 m base, with 2604 narrative reliefs (longest Buddhist relief 2.5 km), 72 bell stupas with enclosed Buddha statues perforated lattice, and huge primary stupa 9.9 m. Built by Sailendra/Medang, buried by ash, revealed by Raffles 1814. Austere Mahayana-Vajrayana cosmology mountain.

Why it mattersGreatest Mahayana temple-mountain; synthesis of Gupta Indian Buddhism with Javanese architecture

Open questions

Mysteries & theories

Mysteries

  1. 01Meaning of hidden base reliefs Karmawibhangga buried quickly after carving
  2. 02Borobudur vs Angkor chronology influence debate

Theories

  1. 01Mandala interpretation – Soekmono vs Miksic north?
  2. 02Mount Meru axis vs plain site why not hill?

Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.

History

How it came to be

Built
c.780–835 CE under Samaratunga
Period
Medang Kingdom Sailendra 780–835 CE
Culture
Mahayana Buddhist under Sailendra dynasty central Java
Purpose
Buddhist Mandala cosmology pilgrim circuit (pradaksina) 5 km path
Abandoned
c.1000 abandoned with Mataram shift east; ash buried
Rediscovered
1814 Raffles rediscovery
Excavation
Excavated

  1. 780

    Foundation Samaratunga

  2. 835

    Consecration

  3. 1814

    Corn Cornelius draws for Raffles

  4. 1973

    UNESCO restoration with 1M blocks dismantled

On the ground

Structures & features

7.6078° S · 110.2036° E · 235 m · 3 mapped features

Gallery

Photos

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