Photo. A magical moment during the sunrise admired from the top of the Borobudur temple. CC Line Langlo Spongsveen.
As the sun rose up we could take in view more of the amazing wonder and admire the lush surrounding mountains. It was an unforgettable adventure.
Located on the island of Java, the Borobudur temple is majestically overlooking lush green fields, a vulcan and distant hills. The Norwegian travel adventurer, Line Langlo Spongsveen from Norway, experienced the magical sunrise here together with her family in 10th February 2015. She tells that in the beginning it was a clear blue sight. It was especially beautiful observing the shifting colours on the surroundings. After a while they could watch the mist rose from the ground as the sun heated the countryside. It was totally opposite as she had experienced in Norway: the mist vanish when the sun breaks through.
On the way down again, Line and her family walked through narrow corridors with reliefs on the walls, and descended from platform to platform.
Borobudur is only one hour’s drive from Yogyakarta. There are also several hotels near the site. Line and her family walked from a hotel nearby in the early morning.
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Borobudur, also called Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. It was built during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty, the temple’s design in Gupta architecture reflects India's influence on the region. The monument consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The Borobudur is decorated with stone carvings in bas-relief representing images from the life of Buddha.
The monument was built to resemble a mandala - a wheel-shaped symbol of the cosmos. Borobudur was rediscovered in 1815 by Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore. Walking up the monument replicates the path to enlightenment, beginning at the base in the realm of desire and ending with the realm of formlessness at the top.
A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues each of which is seated inside a perforated stupa. It is the world’s largest Buddhist temple, as well as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. Borobudur is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Borobudur, a Buddhist Temple built during the Sailendra dynasty of Indonesia, the temple’s design in Gupta architecture reflects India's influence on the region.
The magnificent Borobudur temple is the world’s biggest Buddhist monument, an ancient site widely considered to be one of the world’s seven wonders. It covers an enormous area, measuring 123 x 123 meters. Think about that: it was built without using any kind of cement or mortar! As someone describe it: the structure is like a set of massive interlocking Lego blocks held together without any glue. Historians suggest that the name of Borobudur comes from the Sanskrit ‘Vihara Buddha Uhr’ or the ‘Buddhist monastery on the hill’.
Stein Morten Lund, 12th March 2015
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