Borobudur Temple Indonesia | World's Largest Buddhist List

We have various structures in many countries of this world. Some of these structures are architectural monuments. Borobudur Temple is an ancient architectural monument. This temple is located in Indonesia and is a tourist attraction. In today's episode, we will learn about Borobudur Temple and why it is famous worldwide. Borobudur is a famous Buddhist temple located in central Java, Indonesia. It is one of the largest and most well-preserved Buddhist monuments in the world. Constructed of grey, andesite-like stone, the temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six squares, and three circular, topped by a central dome. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa. The monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the barriers. Borobudur has one of the world's most extensive collections of Buddhist reliefs. The temple was built in the 9th century during the Sailendra dynasty's reign and is situated near the town of Magelang. Built during the reign of the Sailendra dynasty, the temple design follows Javanese Buddhist architecture, which blends the Indonesian indigenous tradition of ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of attaining nirvana. The monument is a shrine to the Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. Evidence suggests that Borobudur was constructed in the 8th century and subsequently abandoned following the 14th century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was completed in 1983 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, followed by the monument's listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world and ranks with Bagan in Myanmar and Angkor Wat in Cambodia as one of the great archaeological sites of Southeast Asia. Borobudur remains popular for pilgrimage, with Buddhists in Indonesia celebrating Vesak Day at the monument. Among Indonesia's tourist attractions, Borobudur is the most visited monument. The high volume of visitors ascending the Borobudur's narrow stairs has caused severe wear-out on the stone of the stairs, eroding the stone's surface and making them thinner and smoother. Overall, Borobudur has 2,033 surfaces of stone stairs spread over four cardinal directions, including the west side, the east, south and north. Around 1,028 surfaces of them, or about 49.15%, are severely worn out. Due to vandalism and graffiti, access to the temple grounds was temporarily blocked in 2020. Since then, a maximum of 1,200 visitors have been allowed to enter the temple for one hour a day, accompanied by tourist guides. Visitors are expected to wear bamboo slippers. According to Statistics Indonesia, the number of domestic tourists rose from 422,930 in 2021 to 1.44 million in 2022. The Indonesian government is aiming to increase the number of tourists to 2 million per year. Today, Borobudur is a major tourist attraction and a site of pilgrimage for Buddhists. It is considered a masterpiece of Indonesian art and a symbol of cultural and religious harmony.