History comes alive as you step into the realm of Borobudur, as the remains of the sacred temple were still untouched from its prime from the reign of the Sailendra dynasty in the 9thcentury.

When the British invaded Java, local Indonesians told Sir Stamford Raffles, the officer who then-ruled Java, of the hidden site in the 18thcentury, which sparked the Westerners’ knowledge of its existence. The area was abandoned when found, following the decline of Buddhist-Hindu kingdoms in Java in the 14thcentury. The area is now regarded as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple site in the world. The temple has a unique design that follows the fusion of Javanese culture blended in the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana, derived from India’s Gupta art. The Borobudur Temple is an enormous construction with 72 stupas around each circular platform, each containing a Buddha statue. Exploring the entire complex is a must-do while you are in the area—striding each platform of the majestic temple while gazing at intricately detailed carvings in the rectangular relief panels narrating the structure to life. On top of the main Borobudur Temple, a fantastic view of monumental stupas overlooking multiple stupas, large and small, guarding over 504 varieties of Buddha statues.

The main Borobudur Temple is a large stupa built in three tiers around a hill with a natural centre, said to be in the perfect linear direction of a compass. The structure is entirely built to the accordance with the conception of the Universe in Buddhism—Kamadhatu (the base), Rupadathu (the five square terraces), and Arupadhatu (three circular platforms and the giant stupa—all to symbolize letting go of the desires that keep you bound in Earth. The Borobudur Compound has three monuments: the Mendut Temple, the Pawon Temple and the main Borobudur Temple, representing the phases to attain Nirvana.

Today, aside from being a tourist attraction and worship place, the site is also used as a Buddhist archaeological site. If you are lucky, you can spot the archaeologists still finding remnants from a long-lost kingdom. Yogyakarta is the nearest city to Borobudur, which is located in Magelang, Central Java. It is best to use a car to get to the Borobudur temple. The main road to the temple from Yogyakarta is through Magelang Road, which takes about 40 km. It is estimated an hour or two to get to your destination. For local visitors of the temple, the price of adult tickets is Rp 50.000, and it is Rp 35.000 for children. For international visitors of the temple, adult tickets’ price is 25 USD, and 15 USD for children.

TIPS FOR YOUR VISIT TO BOROBUDUR

• The best time to visit is during the times of early sunrise or sunset. Borobudur is famous for its sunrise and sunset spots from and apart from the magnificent structure’s beauty. The Borobudur Compound is open as early as 6 AM; visitors can follow other sunrise hunters in the temple’s surrounding area to watch the sun comes out, uncovering the temple from the darkness. As the park closes in the dusk, visitors can leave as the sun sets on a breath-taking view of the temple back to the night.
• There is an Equinox in Borobudur, where you can see the sun in the middle of the giant stupa from a certain point during 18-23 March or 18-23 September every year.
• Since Borobudur is still worship, visitors are advised to wear light but respectable unrevealing clothing.
• You should also bring sunblock, a hat, and a water bottle, as it gets hot during the day and the temple is quite a steep climb.5.Try to avoid the weekend, as that is when the locals and tourists come to visit.