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Photo: Borobudur Temple
The name 'Borobudur'
is believed to have been derived from the
Sanskrit words 'Vihara Buddha Uhr' meaning
'Buddhist Monastery on the Hill'. The Borobudur
Temple in Central Java was built in the 8th century
by the Cailendra Dynasty and is located at Magelang,
90 kilometers southeast of Semarang or 42 kilometers
northwest of Yogyakarta.
One of the world's
famous temples in Indonesia, this famous tourist
attraction in Java stand majestically on a hill
overlooking lush green fields and distant hills,
and Borobudur is built of grey andesite stone.
It rises in seven terraces, each smaller than
the one below it. The top is the Great Stupa,
standing 40 meters above the ground. The walls
of the Borobudur are sculpted in bas-relief, a
total length of 6 kilometers. It has been hailed
as the largest and most complete ensemble of
Buddhist reliefs in the world, unsurpassed in
artistic merit, each scene an individual masterpiece.
The monument has been completely restored and was
officially opened by the President on the 23rd
February 1983. The restoration took eight years
to complete, funded by the Government of Indonesia
with aid from UNESCO and donations from private
citizens and foreign governments.
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