Borobudur
Candi Borobudur · Barabudur
Medang Kingdom Sailendra 780–835 CE·Mahayana Buddhist under Sailendra dynasty central Java·🇮🇩 Central Java, Indonesia
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
- 01Meaning of hidden base reliefs Karmawibhangga buried quickly after carving
- 02Borobudur vs Angkor chronology influence debate
Theories
- 01Mandala interpretation – Soekmono vs Miksic north?
- 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
780
Foundation Samaratunga
835
Consecration
1814
Corn Cornelius draws for Raffles
1973
UNESCO restoration with 1M blocks dismantled
On the ground
Structures & features
7.6078° S · 110.2036° E · 235 m · 3 mapped features
Main Central Stupa
stupaUppermost 9.9 m closed stupa with unperforated dome summit
7.6078° S · 110.2036° EPerforated Stupa perimeters
stupa72 lattice stupas each enclosing Vairocana Buddha seated
7.6075° S · 110.2034° EKarmawibhangga hidden foot reliefs
relief160 buried reliefs of karmic law on concealed base
7.6082° S · 110.2040° E
Gallery