JOGJA_Beautiful Borobudur

The beautiful Borobudur is one place you should defiantly stop by when you’re in Yogyakarta!  This magnificent 9^th-century Buddhist monument is located near Magelang, on the Indonesian island of Java, 40km northwest of Yogyakarta.  It is the largest Buddhist monument in the world built in the 750 A.D. 

 

  

This monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Its building structure is approximately 55,000 cubic meters and the view from the top is breath-taking!

The stories of the Buddhist cosmologies are carved in stone and Borobudur has many statues of various Buddha’s.

The original Buddha statues has 504 in total; over 300 are damaged (mostly headless) and 43 are missing (since the monument's discovery, heads have been stolen as collector's items, mostly by Western museums)

 Sadly, in October and November 2010, Borobudur was heavily affected by the eruption of Mount Merapi. Volcanic ash (up to 2.5 centimetres) from Merapi fell on the temple complex, which is approximately 28 kilometres west-southwest of the crater. (I had the chance to visit Mount Merapi before the eruption. It will be on the next post.)

Fortunately, UNESCO donated US$3 million as a part of Borobudur’s rehabilitation costs. More than 55,000 stone blocks comprising the temple's structure had to be dismantled to restore drainage system, which had been clogged by slurry after the rain. 

 

  
Did You Know?:
   The name Bore-Budur, and thus BoroBudur, is thought to have been written by Raffles in English grammar to mean the nearby village of Bore; most candi are named after a nearby village. If it followed Javanese language, the monument should have been named 'BudurBoro'. Raffles also suggested that 'Budur' might correspond to the modern Javanese word Buda ("ancient") – i.e., "ancient Boro". However, another archaeologist suggests the second component of the name (Budur) comes from Javanese term bhudhara (mountain).

 

 

To see Borobudur Route Map:  

http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//3/30/Borobudur_route_map.png

To see Yogyakarta City Map:  

http://www.wikitravel.org/upload/en/a/aa/Yogyakarta_city_map.png

.:How to get there:. (from Wikipedia.)

 1. By bus

• The public buses to Borobudur from Yogyakarta are aimed mostly at Indonesian visitors, and only a few tourists venture aboard. If you are adventurous, the Trans-Jogya service runs from central Yogyakarta to Jombor bus terminal in northern Yogyakarta (Rp 3,000), where you can change to another bus to get to Borobudur. It takes about 60-90 minutes, and should cost around Rp 10,000-15,000 one way, but bargain with the bus staff to get a good price.

• Buses run regularly from Magelang to Borobudur via Muntilan and are widely advertised there. The journey time is about 1 hour. 

• To get from or to the Hindu temples at Prambanan, take a Yogyakarta bus and get down at Jombor Terminal (90 min, Rp 15,000 for visitors, Rp 7,000 for Indonesians). From Jombor take TransJogya route 2B to Prambanan (45-60 min, Rp 3,000). It will require 3 bus changes: 2B from Jombor to Terminal Condong, 3B from Terminal Condong to Maguuro (Jl. Solo) and 1A/B from Maguuro to Prambanan.

2. By minibus

Travel agents in Yogyakarta sell minibus tour packagesfor around Rp 75,000. This is a good deal and a straightforward way to reach the monument, although some operators may stop off at batik and silver factories along the route. 

3. By car

Borobudur is about 40 minutes north of Yogyakarta by car. Most of the route is on a well-maintained (for Indonesia) four-lane (in many places) highway. A taxi from central Yogyakarta to Borobudur costs around Rp 200,000, and from Yogyakarta airport about Rp 225,000. 

.:Entrance Fee:.

• Rp 135,000 for adult non-Indonesians.

• Rp 72,000 for non-Indonesian registered students (proof, e.g. ISIC, is required).

• Rp 15,000 on weekdays and Rp 17,500 at weekends for Indonesian adults or foreign holders of an Indonesian work permit.

The site is open to public entrance from 6AM-5PM.

The Manohara Hotel runs a daily Borobudur Sunrise Tour for Rp 320,000 for foreigners and Rp 220,000 for Indonesians, which gets you a flashlight and a lift up to the temple gate at 4:30AM. This is in time to see the sunrise, and to explore for an hour and a half before the hordes arrive.

 

Hiring a guide who can explain the reliefs in some detail costs Rp 75,000 per hour, with a minimum time of two hours. You should ask for a guide in the evening before going to tour in the morning. It is also perfectly possible to roll up and find a guide available, it all depends on how busy the site is. 

Visitors are required to wear a sarong whilst visiting the temple. If you do not bring your own, then one is provided free with the entrance ticket. These are available at a post located at the bottom of the temple entrance stairs, and should be returned before leaving at an exit post.

Borobudur is truly a spectacular Buddhist monument you will regret not seeing!