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Borobudur Temple is one of the largest monuments in the world. Built in the seventh century. The overall shape of the temple resembles a lotus or flower, a flower that is considered sacred by Buddhists. The temple is located in Borobudur District, Magelang Regency, surrounded by mountains, namely Mount Merbabu in the east, Mount Merapi in the northwest, Mount Sumbing in the south, and Mount Sindoro in the north.

Borobudur Temple is one of the greatest relics of the Syailendra Kingdom Dynasty which embraced Buddhism, during the time of Samaratungga's reign from the Ancient Mataram Kingdom. This temple was built in 824, with a construction period of around 100 years, and to date has undergone two renovations. The first restoration in 1907-1911 by Theodorus Van Erp in the Dutch colonial period, and the second in 1973-1983 by President Soeharto assisted by Unesco. This temple was built 300 years earlier than Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

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The temple which is a world cultural heritage consists of 72 terawang stupas, one main stupa, and 504 statues, with a temple height of 42 meters before restoration. The reliefs carved on the temple stone number 1460 and tell about life. Borobudur Temple itself was built using volcanic stones totaling more than two million stones, which are arranged in a terraced pattern of kepunden.

The name Borobudur is taken from the word Boro which means temple or temple, and Budur which means hill. Then Borobudur is intended as a temple on a hill. This naming was first mentioned by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in his book entitled History of Java.

The Borobudur temple is divided into three parts of Buddhist philosophy, which you can trace from the base of the temple to the top, by passing 10 levels of the temple. The three parts of the philosophy are, Kamadhatu (world of desire), Rupadhatu (world of form), and Arupadhatu (world of form).

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Many mysteries are stored in the Borobudur Temple which until now as not been revealed with certainty. However, the splendor and the magic are truly fascinating so visitors will always be interested in seeing it, even though they have visited many times. The ticket price for entering the Borobudur Temple complex is Rp. 30,000 for local visitors, and Rp. 135,000 for foreign tourists.

The best time to visit Borobudur is early morning. The gate is opened starting at 6 in the morning. The beauty of the panorama of the volcanoes that surrounds it is clear even though sometimes the fog covers it until 8 o'clock in the morning. Visitors walk 500 meters to the bottom of the hill then climb a few steps to reach the foot of the temple. To watch the sunrise, you can use a private car or spend the night in hotels in the Borobudur area.

History Of Borobudur

According to the Karangtengah Inscription and Kahulunan, one might expect that the founder of Borobudur Temple was the Ancient Mataram King in the Syailendra Dynasty named Samaratungga, in 824 AD Some historians suspect that this temple was once a Buddhist monastery. In Sanskrit it is called "Buddhist Uhr Temple" which means "Buddhist Monastery on the Hill", and then called Borobudur.

The area of the temple is 123 x 123 meters, and it was erected in the middle of an ancient lake that was once the mouth of various rivers. Long after the lake was buried by sediments of lava from the surrounding mountains and became a plain. At the end of the 8th century, King Samaratungga built the Borobudur Temple by ordering an architect named Gunadharma, and construction continued until it was finished.

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For centuries, the splendor of Borobudur was buried in volcanic pulp, due to the eruption of Mount Merapi. Borobudur was discovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles, who received a report that there was an indication of the discovery of a hill filled with carved rocks, while visiting Semarang. Raffles then formed a commission team led by Cornelius to investigate the hill. In 1835, this historic site was cleared. Efforts to restore and restore were carried out afterwards.

Unfortunately, in 1896, the colonial government handed over eight containers of Borobudur temple stones, including some reliefs, statues, stairs and doors, as gifts for the King of Siam who visited Indonesia.

A restoration that took place during 1973 and 1984 by the Indonesian government, much restored the glory of this temple site, and made this temple a destination for Buddhist pilgrimages. On January 21, 1985, this temple was damaged by a bomb attack. And in 1991, Borobudur Temple was inaugurated as one of the World Heritage Sites, by UNESCO.

How to get to Borobudur

Borobudur is one hour from Yogyakarta and two hours from Semarang. The journey passes through small towns and rice fields. Borobudur is located on the edge of a village called Borobudur Village, the majority of which are farmers and souvenir sellers. Along the way to Borobudur, you will be spoiled by the cool, fresh air typical of the City of Magelang, as well as the natural scenery between the two mountain Merbabu and Merapi.

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An easy way to Borobudur is to rent a car, motorbike, or join a tour. You can rent it at your hotel or inn, you can even rent a car with the driver. If you take a taxi from the center of Yogyakarta City to Borobudur, the rate is around Rp. 200,000, and the exact price can be known from the Yogyakarta taxi counter which is Rp. 190,000.

In addition, you can take public transportation. Take a bus or mini bus from the Yogyakarta bus terminal. There is a small bus directly from Yogya to Borobudur, which serves visitors every day, every 10 minutes. The best known Bua named Cemara Tunggal, the cost is Rp. 12,000 one way. Then you go down at Mendut Temple. After that you can walk or rent a horse to Pawon Temple. Pawon Temple and Borobudur Temple are only about 300 meters away.

Transportation in Borobudur

Available mini trains or commonly known rabbit trains to get around the Borobudur Temple Park complex. Train rides which are also entertainment for children can you ride at a rate of Rp. 5000 per passenger and once round.

Andong is easily found starting from the terminal, Borobudur market, to inside the temple complex to get around the temple area. You can rent it for Rp. 30,000 per four passengers and once round, if you just go around the temple. But if you want to get around the village, the tariff is Rp. 75,000, with a route that passes through four villages.

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You can also rent a bicycle from the hotel where you stay or in the Borobudur Temple area. Rental rates for onthel bicycles are around Rp. 20,000 per 10 hours, and regular bicycle rates range from Rp. 25,000 per 10 hours. Or around Rp. 30,000 - Rp. 50,000 for one day rental. Special temple area, bicycle rental rates Rp. 10,000 and for tandem bikes Rp. 15,000. The choice of using a bicycle is quite good if you want to explore other parts and villages around Borobudur.

Hotels in Borobudur

Visiting Borobudur attracts visitors to stay for a moment near the splendor of the temple. Various kinds of simple hotels and star hotels can be found around the temple area. At least now there are 6 star hotels and dozens of jasmine and homestay hotels.

Star hotels certainly provide classy services and facilities that offer luxury and satisfaction. There are resort and spa model inns that also provide private pools in each room.

Cheap hotel prices around the temple area range from Rp. 80,000 - Rp. 350,000 per night. There are also hotels that provide sunrise tour packages in Borobudur and include breakfast, then sunset with afternoon tea, until a romantic dinner under the moonlight. Whereas for villa model lodging, rented with prices starting from Rp. 2 million to Rp. 5 million