Borobudur, Indonesia - The World's Largest Buddhist Temple

We are surrounded by many religions around us. There are thousands of religions around the world and every religion teaches us to be absorbed in only One Lord, who created the entire universe. Buddhism is also one of those religions. Buddhism has spread over about 520 million people around the world. It is the world's fourth-largest religion and over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. There are many Buddhist temples around the world. But the name of the largest Buddhist temple in the world is "Borobudur". Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. This region is establishing itself as Indonesia’s most important centre for Buddhism. Locals call it the Garden of Java. This temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa (A stupa is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics that is used as a place of meditation). The monument is a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. This temple is built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, the temple design follows Javanese Buddhist architecture, which blends the Indonesian indigenous cult of ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana. Borobudur was likely founded around 800 CE. This corresponds to the period between 760 and 830 CE, the peak of the Sailendra dynasty rule of Mataram kingdom in central Java, when it was under the influence of the Srivijayan Empire. Evidence suggests Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century and abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Borobudur lay hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. The facts behind its abandonment remain a mystery. Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, followed by the monument's listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The pilgrim journey begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument, ascending to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology: Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). Lake Borobudur is an ancient lake that has been suggested once existed surrounding Borobudur Buddhist monument. Borobudur remains popular for pilgrimage. Once a year, Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak (Vesak is also known as Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by Buddhists and some other countries of the world) at the monument. The monument is the single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia. In 1974, 260,000 tourists, of whom 36,000 were foreigners, visited the monument. International tourism awards were given to Borobudur archaeological park, such as PATA Grand Pacific Award 2004, PATA Gold Award Winner 2011, and PATA Gold Award Winner 2012. In June 2012, Borobudur was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest Buddhist archaeological site. Those who are interested in Buddhism and want to know more about this, they should visit this beautiful monument. It will definitely helps you towards the path of Nirvana.