Secrets Of The Borobudur Temple - Alternative View

Secrets Of The Borobudur Temple - Alternative View
Secrets Of The Borobudur Temple - Alternative View

Video: Secrets Of The Borobudur Temple - Alternative View

Video: Secrets Of The Borobudur Temple - Alternative View
Video: Borobudur - Temple of the Secret Aspect 2024, November
Anonim

The majestic temple complex of Borobudur - the stone encyclopedia of Buddhism - is a grandiose and complex structure, lost in the jungle of Java in Indonesia. Borobudur Temple is considered the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

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The complex is located 40 kilometers from the city of Yogyakarta and covers an area of 2.5 thousand square kilometers.

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The name Borobudur comes from the Sanskrit "vihara Buddha Ur", which means "Buddhist temple on the mountain." Sometimes Borobudur is called "the temple of a thousand Buddhas", but there are only 504 Buddha statues in the temple. According to one of the legends, Shakyamuni Buddha is buried under the Borobudur temple, according to another - this is Mount Meru, which is the center of the Universe.

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The volume of the entire structure is approximately 55,000 m³. The stupa was built from 2 million stone blocks. Until now, scientists cannot determine the exact date and duration of the construction of this temple - they assume that the temple was erected in the 7th-9th centuries. rulers of the state of Mataram from the Silendra dynasty.

Thousands of workers, artisans and sculptors were involved in the construction of the temple. According to researchers, it took about 75-80 years for the embankment of the artificial hill, which became the base of Borobudur. The structure was made of dark gray andesite, which is called "temple stone" on the Java island. For the construction of the entire complex, 55 thousand cubic meters of stone were used, piled without the use of mortar.

Promotional video:

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The walls of the galleries of the Borobudur complex are lined with 1460 stone slabs with bas-reliefs telling about the life of Prince Siddhartha Gautama. The total length of the bas-reliefs is about 5 km.

Borobudur is erected as a huge stupa made in the form of a mandala, 34 meters high, and vaguely resembles a huge stepped pyramid. The foundation of the stupa is square, with a side of 118 m. The stupa has eight tiers: the lower five are square, and the upper three are round. The form of the mandala, in accordance with Buddhist ideas, represents the scheme of the Universe. On the upper tier there are 72 small stupas around the large central one. Each stupa is bell-shaped. Inside the stupas are Buddha statues.

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The central motive of Borobudur is the sacred Mount Meru - the legendary center of the Universe in ancient Indian mythology. The lower part of the complex, symbolizing the lower world, the Earth, consists of five standing on top of each other and successively decreasing square stone terraces surrounded by high balustrades.

Above, there are three circular upper terraces, symbolizing the upper, spiritual world. The central stupa Borobudur with a diameter of 15 meters and a height of 8 meters, crowning the last, upper terrace, symbolizes the top of Mount Meru.

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For hundreds of years, Borobudur lay covered with volcanic ash and overgrown with jungle. It is not clear how this unique monument was forgotten. Scientists have suggested that the eruption of Mount Merapi forced the inhabitants to leave their land and look for other habitats. The eruption occurred in 1006, but many scientists believe that the center of Javanese civilization moved to the Brantas Valley as early as 928. One way or another, it remains a mystery why people left Borobudur.

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In the early 19th century, when the British Expeditionary Force landed on Java, one of the officers accidentally stumbled upon the ruins of Borobudur. In 1814, on behalf of the Governor of Java, a clearing was cut through, leading to the top of the sacred hill. The restoration and preservation of the historical monument was entrusted to the Dutch and Indonesian authorities (at that time Indonesia was under the Dutch influence). However, the first restoration work to save the temple was carried out only in 1907-1911.

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To protect the monument from soil erosion, corrosion and damage from the jungle vegetation, in the period from 1973 to 1984, under the auspices of UNESCO, a huge work was carried out to completely restore Borobudur. The structure was completely dismantled, and the hill was fortified. After which the complex was reassembled.

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Borobudur is called "the stone encyclopedia of Buddhism." The pilgrim, on the way from the lower steps to the upper ones, "comprehends the truth." In front of him, as we move from the foot of the temple to the main stupa, the story of the life and teachings of the Buddha unfolds, illustrated by sculptures carved out of stone, reliefs and Buddhist symbols. The 5 km long "Processional Road" leads to the top of the temple in a spiral, sequentially bypassing all eight terraces.

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Borobudur, with its variety of pointed turrets, stone sculptures and Buddha statues, is an outstanding work of ancient art. Several hundred reliefs represent illustrations to the ancient Indian epic legends "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata".

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The Borobudur temple complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.