A Unesco World Heritage Site, the structure is divided into three vertical sections mirroring the journey to enlightenment in Buddhist cosmology. The hidden base depicts the law of karma and earthly desires. The middle, decorated with thousands of narrative relief panels, illustrate Buddha’s life and teachings. Finally, the three circular terraces at the top, which are bare and represent the realm of formlessness, alongside a central stupa, symbolise Nirvana.
Walk the same path as the bupati who first discovered Borobudur at Le Temple, an Indonesian retreat where ancient history and contemporary opulence coalesce
Over 200 years ago, Tan Jin Sing, a bureaucrat who rose to the rank of bupati, head of the Yogyakarta regency, reported to Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles — then British governor of Java — the discovery of a large temple buried under jungle foliage and volcanic ash. Excavation efforts led to the uncovering of Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world.
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