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Borobudur

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writeonthespot
writeonthespot
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4 out of 5
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2
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Borobudur

Borobudur

Borobodur temple is one of the world's best ancient constructions, and should be on your list of places to see in your lifetime. It's not quite as famous as the Egyptian pyramids or Mayan temples, but it is definitely one of the best ancient treasures this world has to offer.

Borobodur was built during the 7th and 8th centuries. It is technically a Buddhist stupa on top of a layered Buddhist shrine. Built onto a hill, its six-square and three-round terraces reach a height of about 35m. All the stones were expertly carved and set without any mortar. As you walk around each terrace, the walls are covered with intricate stone carvings that show stories from the life of Buddha and other moral teaching stories. As you ascend from one terrace to another, the stories and moral tales in stone also take you closer to the Buddhist ideal of enlightenment.

In the exterior walls are niches for hundreds of statues of Buddha in various poses, a different pose for each compass direction. At the top, you are free to wonder at the work that went into creating all this while taking in the views.

We were the only western tourists we saw at Borobodur, or anywhere else on Java during our brief stay for that matter. But there were several Indonesian school field trips at Borobodur, and we had fun talking with the students at the top and taking photos with each other.

Mendut temple is a small temple near Borobodur with a large Buddha statue inside, and a large banyan tree to swing on outside. If you're on a guided tour, it will probably also stop at Mendut, since it is quite close to Borobodur.

Beware: The entrance area and exit paths after Borobodur have many VERY persistent souvenir sellers. On the way in they're selling water, hats, film, and guide books, and on the way out, they sell all that, plus the usual souvenir t-shirts, postcards, etc. They will not take "no" for an answer and will follow you all the way to your car... and a little more. (And this was with a guide to help clear our way.) They weren't threatening in anyway, just very, very persistent. The vendors aren't allowed in/on the temple itself, thankfully.

Borobodur is one of the top ancient constructions in the Orient, worth making a detour to visit especially if you are anywhere close by in Indonesia like Bali.

From journal Overcharged But loved It!

Visiting Borobudur

  • October 12, 2005
  • Rated 3 of 5 by writeonthespot from Bacolod, Philippines
Visiting Borobudur

Borobudur is the largest stupa in the world. Built centuries ago, it shows about the Buddhists of Java that once came to this island. It has carvings on its walls similar to other Buddhist monuments found in Thailand and India. It’s a steep climb, but once on top, the beauty of the land reveals the grandeur of Borobodur. It has a different kind of beauty that is comparable with Angkor Wat. What keeps tourists to flock to Borobodur is because of its mystique. The question hanging on everyone's head about the Mexican pyramids is a bit similar to those who have been to Borobodur. How did they build such beauty? Of all the places I've been to, Borobodur stands out because it is different. It's not something that you can see everywhere. It has some kind of mysticism that gets one to be in awe when viewing the spectacular architecture.

From journal Climbing Borobodur

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