History of Borobudur and Prambanan

Dutch-Lady

Borobudur

Borobudur from a distanceBorobudur is a Buddhist stupa related to the Mahayana tradition, and is the largest Buddhist monument on earth. It is located in the Indonesian province of Central Java, 40 kilometers (25mi) north-west of Yogyakarta. It was built between 750 and 850 CE by the Javanese rulers of the Sailendra dynasty. The name may derive from the Sanskrit "Vihara Buddha Ur", which can be liberally translated as "the Buddhist temple on the mountain". It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indonesia.


Buddha in an open stupa, BorobudurBorobudur is built as a single large stupa, and viewed from above takes the form of a giant mandala. The foundation is a square, 118 metres on each side. It has eight levels, of which the lower five are square and the upper three circular. This is said to be a map of the cosmos as conceptualized by the Buddhist philosophers of the time. The upper level features seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large central stupa. Each stupa is a bell shape pierced by numerous decorative apertures. Statues of the Buddha sit inside the pierced enclosures.

Borobudur is still a place of prayer and pilgrimage. Pilgrims circumambulate each level seven times in a clockwise direction. The stupas on the topmost level contain statues of the Buddha in various poses. According to local folklore, touching each Buddha through the holes in the stupa wall brings good luck.

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Construction
The volume of this massive andesite monument is approximately 56,000 m?. The stupa is formed of some 2,000,000 stone blocks. Archaeologists estimate that construction may have taken forty years. [citation needed] The logistics involved in assembling and feeding the huge work force necessary to complete the construction must have been daunting.

Some researchers say that during construction Borobudur experienced a landfall that threatened the entire building. To prevent the whole monument from collapsing, the Kamadhatu level was closed and made into a new base that holds Borobudur steady. [citation needed]

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Site selection

In the 1940s, the Dutch artist Nieuwenkamp suggested that Borobudur in fact represented the Buddha on a lotus leaf, and that thus had likely been built on a lake. In 1949, geologists found clay sediments near the site, which they interpreted as a remnant of a lake bed. They suggested that the lake may have been created by the eruption of a nearby volcano, Mount Merapi, either circa 1006 CE or much earlier. However, it was not at all clear whether the lake dried up before the stupa was built, or the site pre-dated a lake, which was an accident of nature.

More recent research indicates that a lake existed in the area as recently as between the 12th and 14th centuries, validating the earlier supposition that Borobudur was built as an aquatic lotus symbol, seen as floating on the adjoining lake [1]

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Interpretation
Scholars think that this massive monument is actually a gigantic textbook for illiterate Buddhists. As they performed their pilgrimage and circumambulated the monument, they passed walls ornamented with reliefs illustrating the life of Buddha Shakyamuni and the principles of his teaching.

The three levels of the monument are said to represent Kamadhatu (the world of desire), Ruphadhatu (the world of forms), and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness)[2].

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Kamadhatu

A Borobudur wall reliefThe Kamadhatu level was later enclosed, possibly to stabilize the structure. According to an early manuscript attributed to the sage Karmavibhangga, there were 160 relief panels on this first level. They depicted the world of passion and desire, and the inevitable results of passion, according to the laws of karma. The first 117 panels show various actions leading to one and the same result, while the other remaining 43 panels demonstrate the many results that follow one single effect. A few panels can still be seen on the southeast corner of the monument.

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Rupadhatu

Another photograph of the wall reliefReliefs on the Rupadhatu level illustrate stories found in the Lalitavistara, Jataka-Avadana and Gandavyuha.

120 panels, based on the Lalitavistara, tell the story of Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha of history.
Some panels tell stories from the Jataka tales, folklore about Shakyamuni's previous lives. Stories are told of his lives as a god, king, common man, or even an animal. He is said to have lived as a lion, deer, monkey, swan, turtle, etc. In every incarnation, Shakyamuni was noble and compassionate. These stories illustrate the Buddhist precepts in homely fashion.
Some panels tell the story of Sudhana, who wandered seeking wisdom.
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Arupadhatu

Borobudur StupasThe last level of existence, Arupadhatu or formlessness, is represented by the three circular terraces that top the monument. There are no reliefs on the three circular terraces. When built, they displayed only life-size statues of the Buddha, either inside the stupas or in niches in the walls. Many of these statues are now missing or damaged; many are thought to have been looted.

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Rediscovery and recent history
For centuries, Borobudur lay hidden under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. The facts behind the desertion of this magnificent monument still remain a mystery. In the middle of the 20th century the scholarly theory was that famine caused by an eruption of nearby Mount Merapi forced the inhabitants of Central Java to leave their lands and monuments behind in search of a new place to live. The eruption in question took place in c. 1006, however, and most scholars now believe that the centre of Javanese power moved from the area of Borobudur to the valley of the Brantas as early as 928[1]. The real cause of desertion of the site thus remains a mystery.

In the 18th century only the uppermost terraces would have been partly discernable. Dutch colonials on their way to the Javanese court passed other monuments, but no mention was made of Borobudur. Borobudur was rediscovered in 1814 by Lieutenant-Governor Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles during the English occupation of the island at the time of the Anglo-Dutch Java War. During his visit in Semarang, he received a report indicating the discovery of a hill full of many carved stones. The Dutchman H.C. Cornelius was dispatched into the area to investigate; Cornelius spent a month and a half with 200 men conducting a preliminary clearing of the monument. His work was continued by others between 1817 and 1822. From 1835 onwards the upper portions were cleared and the monument was for the most part visible. From 1849-1853 the artist F.C. Wilsen was commissioned to make drawings of all of the reliefs. His work was reproduced in the first Borobudur monograph of 1873, published by the director of the museum of antiquities in Leiden Dr C. Leemans. In 1873 the then well known photographer Isidore van Kinsbergen photographed the site. The structural condition of the complex remained so unstable that in 1882 the chief inspector of cultural artefacts recommended that Borobudur be entirely disassembled, with the reliefs placed in museums.

Appreciation for the site developed slowly, though reliefs, Buddhas, and ornaments were routinely removed by thieves and souvenir hunters. Stories are also told of cavalrymen from Magelang sharpening their sabres on Dhyani-Buddha's and of officers finishing their dinners with charges of the sacred site. The King of Siam, visiting the governor in 1886 passed through on his travels; he either took or was given eight ox carts containing irreplaceable statues and ornaments including the only large "temple guardian".

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Restoration

The first great restoration was carried out from 1907-1911 by then Captain/Major of engineers Theodoor van Erp. As a young officer he was stationed in Magelang and in 1900 became a member of the so-called Borobudur Commission. The restoration was a great success and drew widespread acclaim as it used anastylosis, a methodology never before used on such a scale and for which no guidance existed. At first glance Borobudur had been restored to its old glory.

Due to the limited budget the restoration had been primarily focused on improving drainage and structural restoration. Long term survival of the monument would require significant and expensive additional work. Borobudur is built on a hill, and tropical rains cause the site to function as a sponge which causes the stupa to continuously tend to collapse and sink; the reliefs are thus also continuously attacked by mosses and vegetation.

Complete disassembly, strengthening of the hill, and reconstruction appeared to be the only solution. In the period 1973-1984 this massive restoration was carried out under the guidance and financing of UNESCO. The monument has since been listed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

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Recent events
On January 21, 1985, the temple suffered minor damage due to a bomb attack.

The creation of facilities for domestic and international tourism around the current 'park' has been controversial. Public comment has even been made by park authority employees, as the numbers of tourists is starting to cause excessive wear to the stone paths.

On 27 May 2006, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the south coast of Central Java, causing severe damage and casualties to the nearby city of Yogyakarta. Initial reports, however, suggest that Borobudur, which was some distance from the epicentre, remains undamaged[2].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur

[ Last edited by  Dutch-Lady at 29-7-2006 01:33 PM ]

Dutch-Lady

Buddha in an open stupa, Borobudur

[ Last edited by  Dutch-Lady at 29-7-2006 01:34 PM ]

Dutch-Lady

Prambanan
The Prambanan temple complex
Another view
Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia, located in central Java, approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta (7

Dutch-Lady

unRESTworld

teringin la nak pegi situ satu hari nanti..
sape yg pnah gi situ.. share la  sket experience..

hujan_emas

Uihhh... panjangnya entri... terkujat aku... ni "copy paste" atau review sendiri ni...??

gelupur

al kisahnya pada 698 masihi seorg pengembara arab membawa bekalan susu dari tanah arab ke sini..sedang ia kehausan hendak minum,didapati susu tersebut telah bertukar menjadi borobudur & prambanan.sekian terima kasih

chique

Originally posted by unRESTworld at 1-8-2006 10:04 PM
teringin la nak pegi situ satu hari nanti..
sape yg pnah gi situ.. share la  sket experience..

pernah gi situ. terpesona tgk betapa grandnya. nak panjat ke atas, kena jalan kat 1 long spiral pave. tapi panas sangat2 kat atas tu. apasal tah. ada 1 stupa yg kononnya kalau kita boleh sentuh, niat kita akan makbul.

Dutch-Lady

Kedua candi ini termasuk Warisan Uneso

Utk Dutch_ lady..
Ko ni minah indon kan..? Suke ye lepak sini...paham ke bahasa tulisan kitorang nih..??

thessailly

awan badai, wa upkan thread ni khas utk ko..

thessailly

ada orang kate borobudur ni dibuat oleh tentera Jin Nabi Sulaiman.
aku tak tau nak gelak ke tak..macam logik gak..



tu, rounded edges tu, mcm mana diorang buat? kalau setakat guna pahat n penukul
takkan dapat bentuk yg 'lembut' mcm tu...

kertas pasir, sanding machine?

thessailly

Tambah lak lokasi dia yg kat tengah hutan belantara tu.



berbanding ngn piramid egypt yang segitiga rata mcm tu je...ni lawa lagi.

awan9badai

time kasih thesssaily,

rujukan yang menarik )

Yang paling menarik sekali adalah STUPA ...hehe mcm stupid jek bunyinya.
tapi ini adalah petunjuk selanjutnya yg mempunyai persamaan dekat dgn apa
yang ada di angkor.

Kenapa dikatakan hindu borobudur dan buddha di angkor wat ... tetapi mempunyai
ideologi tahap tertinggi yang hampir sama. Mengikut pemerhatian aku .... patung2 yg
ada di borobodor bukanlah bentuk patung yg disembah orang .... kalau ada orang sembah
.. hehe pandai dia lah.
Tetapi patung2 ini merujuk kepada keadaan ritual 'tapa' yg dilakukan oleh kedua2 agama
untuk tujuan penyucian diri menuju kepada tahap tertinggi kononnya.

hmmmm ..... nanti aku baca dulu bahagian stupa tu .... agak menarik nampaknya ni.
Satu hint yang besar adalah bahasa SANSKRIT.... mari kita susur keberadaan bahasa sanskrit
dalam bahasa melayu moden dan bahasa melayu kuno.

Serasa aku la ..... bahasa sanskrit takde iras2 langsung dengan bahasa jawa tetapi banyak ada similarity dengan bahasa melayu. Kalau ada minta tolong kawan2 bagitau ....

ok thessaily, tolong sambung ....

awan9badai

aiseymen ... aku silap baca lak .... memang borobudur ni buddhist punya architecture daaa...

reflisia

ada orang kate borobudur ni dibuat oleh tentera Jin Nabi Sulaiman.
aku tak tau nak gelak ke tak..ma ...
thessailly Post at 10-2-2011 20:22

    entah kenapa aku tak rasa heran pon kalau benda ni manusia boleh buat....sbb dlm al-quran pn ade sbut 1 kaum yg hebat boleh buat bukit2 jd tempat kediaman ke ape tah....dan ada satu lagi kaum yg boleh buat bagunan yg tinggi2 tampa bantuan jin2 nie semua...manusia mampu buat dh terbukti benda nie hujud sampai sekarang dan allah tak lenyap kn benda tuu...maknanya manusia2 zaman firaun boleh buat..tak mustahil manusia zaman borbudar nie boleh buat kn??....

thessailly

Reply 16# reflisia


    cuba ko bgtau alat zaman dulu apa yang bole buat rounded edges kat batu mcm patung Buddha tu?
kalau segi2 rata tu mmg boleh bwt pakai pahat & penukul...kot.

reflisia

Reply  reflisia


    cuba ko bgtau alat zaman dulu apa yang bole buat rounded edges kat batu mc ...
thessailly Post at 30-3-2011 16:36

    aku bukan ahli arkeologi sejarah...jg aku mmg tak tau alat apa yg digunakan....bg aku kalau manusia sekarang boleh capai teknologi canggih...tak kn manusia dolu2 tak boleh?...sedangkan dolu2 ada para nabi & rasul?....contohnya kapal nabi noh tuu....lagi pon dlm alquran ada sebut sebaik2 kejadian adalah manusia...yg dlm kisah nabi sulaiman tu ada yg cakap bukan jin ifrid yg alihkn istana tu...tp manusia..die yg berdoa pada tuhan sebelum sempat ifrid buat tuhan dah makmulkan doa hamba allah nie...aku tak pasti aku baca kat ruangan mana...tuk pengetahuan ko aku percaya pada perkara2 ghaip..tp untuk yg ni aku rasa manusia yg buat...kuil2 pelik2 nie salunya mmg manusia yg buat...

thessailly

Reply 18# reflisia


* ifrit boleh alihkan istana tu, tp asif bleh buat dgn lagi cepat. sekelip mata.

okeh..kalau tu manusia yang buat, logically ada ramai tukang batu kat sana...and logically, diorang pun mesti ada buat rumah2 dari batu jugak.. kalau tak banyak pun mesti ada sikit..tp mana? atau pun diorang semua diimport dari tempat lain?

n mcm mana ko kate manusia yang buat tp ko tak tau mcm mana? kan tak lengkap tu?

see, aku pun tak tau sgt psl borobudur ni....saja bual2..kalau ada yang tau, info lah. tq.

The_Spirit

hi.. sy org baru kat sini.. best gak forum ni.. byk knowledge ble dapat..

lps baca thread ni teringt pla ada artikel sy baca ari tu.. ttg kisah nabi sulaiman dn putri balqis, dimana nabi sulaiman memerintahkan jin2nya memindahkan istana putri balqis ke satu tempat..  

penulis artikel tu berpendapat, yg istana tu skg berada di tanah jawa(x ingt kat mana) di mana klu kita perhati ada satu bangunan sejarah kat sana yg designnya berbeza ngn bangunan2 lain kat sini( ada kubah klu x silap)..


x brp ingt artikel tu sbb sy baca dah lama..byk la hujah2 yg dikemukakan utk sokong pendapatnya tu.. salah satu yg sy masih ingt ialah nama2 org penduduk kat sini(zaman skg) smuanya bermula dgn su..(sukarno, suradi n nama typikal jawa yg lain). jd ini berkemungkinan dorang amik sempena nama nabi sulaiman(initial su)


mgkin mmg pelik sgt lah info ni .. byk lg bnda2 dlm artikel ni yg mgkin menarik minat pencinta sejarah mcm korang..tp x ingt, sbb dah lama.. sori la klu posting ni serabut sikit.. x berapa ingt daa..


saja nk share... klu ada yg penah terbaca@ tau pasal ni, mgkin ble tmbah skit lg info ni..
btw ini bukan sejarah tp hanya theory..