Step into the history of Borobudur

Welcome to Borobudur, one of the sacred buildings of Buddhism as a World Cultural Heritage site. The splendor and beauty of Borobudur has its own historical value for Indonesian people. The Indonesian government has designated Chandi Borobudur as a major tourist attraction, and also a priority tourist destination for domestic and foreign visitors.

Chandi Borobudur attracts extraordinary enthusiasm to visit and explore several narrative sources in thematic tours, with the aim of getting to know more closely the history, architecture and fine arts of this building.

The friendly Pamong Carita will accompany and guide you to provide explanations and narratives about Borobudur and its surroundings. Introducing 'Upanat', namely special footwear worn when visiting the terraces through a corridor with a series of relief panel galleries, leading to the top of the circular upper terrace with a row of stupas at Borobudur Temple. Explore history and admire the beauty of architectural art, as well as the origin of the name Chandi Borobudur.

Step into history

There was a litle known documents and references about the construction of Borobudur. To whom the architect had built the monument, and the purpose for it was dedicated. Source: Guide Book arisguide. Foto a screenshot arisguide.

Welcome, nice to meet you on the Borobudur tour, You will step on now and visit the splendor of Chandi Borobudur which is one of the world's cultural heritage sites. The reopening of Borobudur sends an interesting opportunity to explore several narrative sources about the existence of the Borobudur in the insights of travel guides onto Borobudur.

Mentioned in the history of Borobudur, there is one of the relief panels carved on a hidden leg, the Karmawibhangga text wall, panel number 150, concerning the offering of footwear called 'Upanat', dedicated to Brahmins.

The bas-relief of the foot wall is hidden in the Karmawibhangga text panel number 150, regarding the offering of footwear with the name 'Upanat', the footwear offered to Brahmins, in order to obtain rewards and prosperity in life.

The bas-relief of the foot wall 

is hidden in the Karmawibhangga text panel number 150, regarding the offering of footwear with the name 'Upanat', the footwear offered to Brahmins, in order to obtain rewards and prosperity in life.

Source: Borobudur Conservation Center. Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. A screenshot arisguide.

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The relief found on the hidden foot wall, in the Karmawibhangga text panel 150, concerns the offering of footwear with the name 'Upanat', a footwear offered to Brahmins, to obtain merit and prosperity in life.

Introducing 'Upanat', a footwear used to visit the terraces of the Borobudur temple, with the aim of getting to know the monument better, learning history, doing thematic tours and admiring the splendor of Chandi Borobudur as a sacred temple for Buddhists. The trip will be part of an appreciation in learning, admiring, and participating in safeguarding and protecting the world cultural heritage site located at Borobudur Indonesia.

It's fun going around the temple to get a source of explanation guided by a tour guide. Opportunity to find out the source, explanation of the written history of Chandi Borobudur and study about its monument in the history past.

Welcome to Chandi Borobudur

You will now step on and visit the splendor of Chandi Borobudur which is one of the world's cultural heritage sites.

Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide.

Step on Borobudur

Chandi Borobudur is one of a world cultural heritage site or World Heritage Site, a Buddhist temple located in Borobudur, belongs to Magelang regency and located in Central Java province. To reach the monument is approximately 96 kilometers from Semarang, the capital city of Central Java, and approximately 86 kilometers from the city of Surakarta, and about 40 kilometers from the city of Yogyakarta.

Chandi Borobudur is located right above the hill and built in the middle of several mountains and hills. Looking to the west, there are Mount Sundoro and Sumbing. Looking to the east you can see Mount Merbabu and an active volcano, Merapi. View to the north, it is approximately 15 kilometers from Borobudur, there is Tidar hill, and to the south it is bounded by the Menoreh hill range. Borobudur is located at the confluence of two rivers, they are Progo and Elo River, located right in the middle between the east of Chandi Borobudur and Chandi Pawon.

Chandi Borobudur or Barabudur 

is a 9th–century Mahayana Buddhist temple, which consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, surrounded by 72 stupas and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto a screenshot arisguide.

History

When it was mentioned that there had been an inscription carved on the building, it was belonged to one of the relief panels at the wall of the hidden foot, the Karmawibangga text, having a graphic characteristics similar to the scripts or writing commonly used on royal inscriptions between the eighth and ninth centuries. The idea came to the conclusion mentioning that Chandi Borobudur was built around 800 AD.

Tracing to the history of Borobudur, it cannot be explained whether there are documents and written references related to the construction of Chandi Borobudur. Or to whom the authority built it or its intended purpose.

This relates to the history of Indonesia in general and the history of Central Java, namely Ancient Mataram in particular. Taking into account the period between 750-850 AD is the Golden Age of the Sailendra Dynasty. During the dynasty in power, has built a large number of monuments that can be found almost all over the plains and mountain slopes in Central Java. Siva temples were built and dominated in mountainous areas, around the plains of Kedu and Prambanan, Shiva and Buddha monuments were built in adjacent areas. It is said that the name Sailendra first appeared in a stone inscription found in Sojomerto, located on the northwestern coast of Central Java. Since it was a personal name, the obvious assumption was that the next ruler of the Sailendra dynasty would be his descendant. The Sojomerto inscription is undated, but based on paleography it can be ascribed to the mid-seventh century. The oldest inscriptions - not only from Central Java, but from all over Indonesia - were found on the Canggal stone charter issued by king Sanjaya in 732 AD.

This is explained in commemorating the founding of the Siva Linga temple which was built on the hill of Gunung Wukir, located about 10 km to the east of Chandi Borobudur. It is stated that the name Sanjaya appears once again in the Mantyasih inscription dated 907 AD, found about 15 km north of Chandi Borobudur, which is probably unusual that it contains a list of the kings before King Balitung (who issued in the charter). Although no record is given of any genealogical relationship, the kings mentioned appear to have been successive rulers of the same kingdom. The king list begins with Sanjaya; explained the founder of the dynasty. His direct successor is Rakai Panangkaran, who is associated with the establishment of the Kalasan Buddhist temple, as indicated by the Kalasan Charter in 778 AD. Panangkaran was actually the king of Sailendra who built the Tara temple in Kalasan village.

Talking about the Sailendra dynasty, that was known as a loyal follower of Buddhism, but Sailendra in the Sojomerto inscription mentioned was a Hindu. In the inscription Mantyasih also mentions Hinduism. Therefore, it can be assumed that the other kings who were written and registered were all basically Hindus. Many scholars believe that the two dynasties that ruled Central Java in the second half of the eighth century were the Shiva Sanjaya and Buddhist Sailendra dynasty.

According to this theory, Rakai Panangkaran was a Sanjaya king whose contribution to the foundation of the Buddhist sanctuary of Kalasan was simply to grant the required plot of land;. Religion has never been a source of any serious conflicts in Indonesia. As far as Rakai Panangkaran is concerned, it is more likely that his involvement in the foundation of Chandi Kalasan was an indication that a change in the official religion had taken place. As if to justify this change, he traced back his ancestry to Sailendra and introduced the denomination Sailendra wangsa (wangsa = dynasty).

This assumption fits with what king Balitung did in his Mantyasih charter. Even though he did not use the appellation ‘Sanjaya wangsa’, he demonstrated the re-establishment of Hinduism as the official religion by enumerating his predecessors and proclaiming that the ardent Siva worshipper Sanyaya was his forefather. The prevailing opinion is that the Sailendras were of foreign origin. They are supposed to have come either from South India or from Indo-China. Since the Java Sea provides the easiest access to Central Java, they might have been expected to settle in the northern regions. This, however, is difficult to reconcile with the fact that the Sailendras emerged in history in the southern part of Central Java, whereas the earlier native Sanyayas had their territory farther north. Even the oldest Hindu kingdom of Kutei in East Kalimantan (fifth century A.D.) was from the very beginning ruled by a native. King Mulawarman, who issued seven pillar edicts in Sanskrit, stated that he was a son of Asvavarman who in his turn was a son of Kundungga. On the other hand, starting with his son, the new religion apparently obtained a foothold in the court. Furthermore, it is explicitly stated in the Kutei edicts that, to ensure the proper performance of religious ceremonies, Brahmans from a far were invited.

It is also interesting to note that the main deity to whom homage was paid was Vaprakesvara who, despite the Sanskrit sound, was alien to the Hindu pantheon as taught in India. An Indonesian settlement at Nalanda in India is known from an Indian charter of the ninth century. The royal edicts seem to suggest the sudden emergence of individual kingdoms. However, the involvement of a native forefather in the genealogy of the reigning king, issued the edicts, can be taken to reflect a transition of power; for it is inconceivable that the kingdoms could come into existence without a considerable prior period of acculturation.

The history of Indonesia is marked by the sudden rise of the oldest kingdoms. The kingdom of Kutei in Kalimantan (fifth century) and the kingdom of Tarumanagara in West Java (fifth century). The same evidence is available on the first period of the kingdom of Sriwijaya in South Sumatra (last quarter of the seventh century).

The existence of the kingdom of Kanjuruhan in East Java is known from one single document (Dinoyo charter of 760 A.D.). A more or less written documents is available on Central Java, starting with the Changgal charter of 732 A.D. and terminating with the King Balitung in the early tenth century.

History Past

No written documents about the history on the construction of the monument Chandi Borobudur. There are not any references to the authority that had it built or the purpose for which it was intended. However, inscriptions carved above the reliefs on the ‘hidden foot’ of the monument have graphical features similar to those in the script commonly used in royal charters between the last quarter of the eighth century and the first decades of the ninth. The obvious conclusion is that Chandi Borobudur was founded around the year 800 A.D.

Writing or characters.

Comparison between the type of writing or script written on the closed feet of Karmawibhangga and the type of writing or script found on several royal inscriptions of the 8th and 9th centuries.

source: Borobudur Temple Guiding Technique arisguide.

A Sanskrit name does not necessarily indicate the Indian origin of the bearer.

Source: Guide Book arisguide, Guiding Technique arisguide. Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide.

Get more narration and materials about Chandi Borobudur in Barabudur atau Borobudur, Candi Buddha Pusaka Budaya Indonesia.

Reading is more fun exploring the thematic narratives, beyond travel guide its more detail in UPANAT - Wisata di Borobudur.

Reading in English is fun and also seems so interesting to translate into language that is easy and flexible, get readings in detail in Welcome to Borobudur Temple, the fabric of life in the Buddhist culture.

Explore, admire the beauty of art in pictures and photos by typing the detailed link in PHOTO IMAGE BOROBUDUR.