Structural Design 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.
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Welcome, nice to meet you on the Borobudur tour, You will now step on 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 on to Borobudur.
Mentioned in the history of Borobudur, there is one of the relief panels carved on a hidden foot, based on the text of Karmawibhangga, panel number 150, concerning about the offering of footwear called 'Upanat', which is 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.
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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. Foto a screenshot arisguide. |
The relief found on the wall of hidden foot, based on the Karmawibhangga text panel 150, concerns the offering of a footwear as its name 'Upanat', a special footwear offered to Brahmins, to obtain merit and prosperity in life.
Introducing 'Upanat', a footwear used to visit on the terraces of Chandi Borobudur, 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 of Borobudur structural design.
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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 Pawon Temple.
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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. |
The structural design of Chandi Borobudur represents many layers of Buddhist theory. It is in the shape of a traditional Buddhist mandala. A mandala is central to a great deal of the basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four entry points, and a circular centre point.
Structural Design
Chandi Borobudur represents many layers of Buddhist theory. From a bird’s eye view, it is in the shape of a traditional Buddhist mandala. A mandala is central to a great deal of Buddhist and Hindu art, the basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four entry points, and a circular centre point.
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Borobudur Mandala Borobudur is in the shape of a traditional Buddhist mandala. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto a screenshot arisguide. |
Working from the exterior to the interior, three zones of consciousness are represented, with the central sphere representing unconsciousness or Nirvana. Chandi Borobudur takes a quite different view of its structural composition.
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The stupas of Arupadhatu terrace. Chandi Borobudur takes a quite different view of its structural composition. The upper platform features seventy-two small stupas. |
Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto a screenshot arisguide.
The big stupa is to be erected on a multiple base, but hardly in such a way that it is wholly dwarfed in size and importance by that base. In the centre of the base there is a pit, at the bottom of which a ritual deposit box was placed. The box contained the pripih which consisted of several pieces of metal, precious stones and various seeds, symbolizing the earthly elements.
Over the pit, in the temple-chamber, he image of the God was enthroned. In the superstructure of solid stone, a small space was reserved for another pripih which represented the divine elements. Buddhism lays particular stress on the stages of mental preparation to be undergone before attaining the ultimate goal, the definitive liberation from all earthly bonds and the absolute exclusion from being reborn.
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The path was designed to symbolize Buddhist cosmology. Source: Guidance Technique. Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto a screenshot arisguide. |
The path that guides pilgrims was designed to symbolize Buddhist cosmology.
Kamadhatu
Illustrating the human behavior of desire.
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Kamadhatu Illustrating the human behavior of desire. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto a screenshot arisguide. |
Borobudur’s hidden Kamadhatu level consists of 160 reliefs depicting scenes of Karmawibhangga Sutra, the law of cause and effect. Illustrating the human behavior of desire, the reliefs depict robbing, killing, rape, torture and defamation.
This base level has been covered by a supporting foundation, hidden from view. During an investigation by Yzerman in 1885 the original foot was discovered. The additional base was added during the original construction of the temple. The reason for adding the base is not a certain, but likely to be either for stability of the structure, to prevent the base from moving, or for religious reasons – to cover up the more salacious content. The added base is 3.6 m in height and 6.5 m wide.
A corner of the covering base has been permanently removed to allow visitors to see the hidden foot, and some of the reliefs. Photography of the entire collection of 160 reliefs is displayed at the Borobudur Museum.
Rupadhatu
The transitional sphere, humans are released from worldly matters.
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Rupadhatu The transitional sphere, humans are released from worldly matters. It contains galleries of carved stone reliefs. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto a screenshot arisguide. |
The four square levels of Rupadhatu contain galleries of carved stone reliefs, as well as a chain of niches containing statues of Buddha. In total there are 328 Buddha on these balustrade levels which also have a great deal of purely ornate reliefs. The Sanskrit manuscripts that are depicted on this level over 1,300 reliefs are Gandhawyuha, Lalitawistara, Jataka and Awadana. They stretch for 2.5 km. In addition there are 1,212 decorative panels.
Arupadhatu
The highest sphere the abode of the gods.
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Arupadhatu The highest sphere the abode of the gods. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto a screenshot arisguide. |
The three circular terraces leading to a central dome or stupa represent the rising above the world, and the terraces are a great deal less ornate, the purity of form is paramount. The terraces contain circles of perforated stupas, an inverted bell shape, containing sculptures of Buddha, who face outward from the temple.
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The upper terrace features seventy-two small stupas. The path that guides pilgrims was designed to symbolize Buddhist cosmology. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto a screenshot arisguide. |
There are 72 stupas in total. The impressive central stupa is currently not as high as the original version, which rose 42 m above ground level, the base is 9.9 m in diameter. Unlike the stupas surrounding it, the central stupa is empty and conflicting reports suggest that the central void contained relics, and other reports suggest it has always been empty.
The upper part of the walls consists of niches with decorative reliefs. There are 432 niches around the five terraces, each containing a seated Buddha statue. And since the walls behind the niches constitutethe inner facade, the row of 1472 stupas form in the balustrades its counterpart in the narrative reliefs.
In the square terraces of the rupadhatu, the circular platforms representing the Sphere of Formlessness are plain: no carvings, no ornaments, no embellishments. The only break in the monotonous plainness is offered by the row of stupas that encircle the big central dome. Supported by lotus cushions, the stupas are arranged in three concentric circles, corresponding to the three circular platforms. In all there are 72 stupas: 32 on the lowest or first platform, 24 on the second and 16 on the third. Each of the 72 stupas has a kind of lattice - work surface, composed of stones and diamond - shaped empty spaces which partly disclose the seated Buddha statue inside.
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Spouts were provided at the corners of the mounting stages to drain off rain–water from the galleries. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto arisguide. |
Borobudur differs markedly from the general design of other structures built for this purpose. Instead of being built on a flat surface, Borobudur is built on a natural hill.
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The upper platform features seventy-two small stupas. The stupas of Arupadhatu terrace. Chandi Borobudur takes a quite different view of its structural composition. Source: Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide. Foto a screenshot arisguide. |
Source: Guide Book arisguide, Guiding Technique arisguide. Guidance Technique Chandi Borobudur arisguide.
Get more reading the 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.
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