Borobudur is a magnificent Buddhist temple in central Java, Indonesia. It was built, probably in the A.D. 700’s and 800’s, by Buddhist rulers named Sailendras (kings of the mountain). The temple of Borobudur stands near the city of Yogyakarta. It is a popular tourist attraction.
The huge, square temple rises out of a plain. The temple has been built as a shell enclosing a hill. Borobudur has no interior and no roof. It is 115 feet (35 meters) high.
The structure consists of three spheres. The first is kamadatu, the sphere of passions. The second is rupadatu, the sphere of the visible world. The third is arupadatu, the sphere of the invisible or metaphysical world. The spheres represent the stages of human life through which Buddhists must go in pursuing the perfect state.
The temple is made up of two distinct parts. The square base, consisting of five walled galleries, is highly ornamented. By contrast, the upper part of the temple is extremely simple. It is made up of four circular levels. The lower three levels have a total of 72 stupas (bell-shaped coverings with openings). Every stupa has a sculpture of Buddha inside it.
The lower levels have sculptures and scenes from the life of Buddha. They are carved in much the same style as similar pieces of Buddhist sculpture in India. But the plants, boats, and other objects shown in them are Javanese rather than Indian.
Historians believe that the temple was probably built by the Sailendras as a symbol of political power. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, the temple was restored with the help of UNESCO, a United Nations agency.
