The Temple has so much history, as it has been around for so long that people choose it as a popular destination spot while travelling. Not only is the temple full of history, it is also the largest buddhist temple in the world. Today it is known to be a Buddhist archaeological site and the original construction took 75 years to be completed.

Over time, the Temple of Borobudur in Indonesia started deteriorated because of the volcanic ash and the heavy jungle growing around it. The ash caused lush greengage and herbage to rapidly grow over the temple which ended up destroying and barring it. After years of being covered, the temple was abandoned until the time that British Governor of Java was interested in the temple and organized a mission to uncover it. It took 2 months of removing the vegetation and bring the temple into public. Since the temple had been abandoned without any care for many years it had several damages and the structure was not as strong as it once was. The temple started to deteriorate more as the plants were removed. Also people from the nearby villages started collecting old stones for building their homes and the buddha heads and other small trinkets and treasures were taken to be sold to private collectors around the world.

The “Save Borobudur” was launched 2 decades after its original day to rebuild it. During this all the lower structors and pillars were removed in order to clean each stone before treating them for the different weather conditions. The relief panels were also removed to clean and treat. A new drainage system was added to properly assist the facilities open to the public as well as the Monks living on site. The foundations of the older buildings were used to construct the new temples in their place. The reconstruction took 8 years to complete and the budget was $25 million. Conservation of the temple is ongoing and they are now prepared for volcanic ash by covering the temple when a volcano erupts.

The temple consists of 3 gorgeous monuments. The main temple is 60,000 meters and stands almost 35 meters tall. The large foundation is 123 meters x 123 meters making it the largest buddhist temple worldwide. With 6 large square platforms as the base, 3 square platforms on the base and a dome or stupa placed on top shaping the structure as a lotus flower. The stupa contains many buddhist relics and there are 72 Buddhist states surround it. The structure was build like this to be in line with the Universe of Buddhism cosmology. The levels of the temple are designed to represent 3 different things.

The first 4 levels are Kamadhatu, the world of desires and Rupadhatu the world of forms. Here you will find some of the best Buddhist cultures in the world. There are thousands of them to as well as mythical beings painted into art work hanging throughout the halls. The top level is Arpadhatu, the formless world. The structure at the top is designed differently that the bottom 2 levels. At the top everything is smooth and circular. The view from the top is astonishing as you will see rolling green mountains covered in rainbow eucalyptus and the flowering titan arum trees. Wild orchids and Arabian jasmine plants can be found through the property and the forest.

The temple encourages locals to worship and has an established buddhist school that many buddhists aim for a scholarship at. The inside walls are filled with assorted buddhist scenes with cover 2500 meters of wall space. There are many stair cases and corridors to walk through where you will be able to see some of the 504 statues placed around the property. Since the temple was built so many years ago, it is known that there are still Chinese coins and ceramics left behind when visitors came from China to worship.

The temple has many myths and legends regarding everything from the shape, to the surrounds. Some of the reliefs are speculated to be related to Aliens being in the shapes of UFO’s. This is a somewhat popular belief for those who know the buddhist symbols. The symbols translate into the belief of the 7 kingly gems.

Another very intriguing legend is the Kunto Bimo. Tourists and locals can be found extending their arms into the structor through the holes. The belief is that anyone who touches the stupa will be blessed. The blessing either is that all of your life long wishes will be granted or you will be blessed with good luck. To receive this blessing men are to touch the stupa with their ring finger or little finger and woman are to use a toe. It is nearly impossible to reach it with your hands, but that doesn’t stop people from trying all day long.

This great temple in Indonesia is one of a kind with the history, design, location and surroundings. The moment you walk up the steps to enter you will be filled with peace and love.