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After visiting the largest Buddhist monument in the world, it is not hard to see why this is the most visited tourist site in Indonesia.
The temple is a massive step pyramid structure made from giant stone blocks, built on a hill, surrounded by valleys and hills. The levels rise up representing the stages of enlightenment.
On the lower rectangular levels, stone carved panels tell the story of the Buddhist Sutras, in total there are 1,460 intricate scenes.
Higher terraces switch to a circular shape on which statues of Buddha sit inside perforated bell shaped stupas. These levels are a great deal less ornate, representing a rise from earthly ‘form’ to a higher state of formlessness.
504 Buddha statues sit, facing out to nature, demonstrating a range of hand positions.
The top of the monument is crowned with a massive bell shaped stupa, close to 10 meters in diameter. Currently the center of this stupa is completely empty, and questions remain as to whether it has always been empty, or in fact held some form of icon within.
Interestingly a hidden level of stone reliefs exists at the base of the monument, depicting stories of desire.
Artistically Borobudur represents a melding of Indian monuments and the traditional terraced sanctuaries of Indonesian art. In plan view, the monument represents a Mandala, which is a schematized representation of the cosmos, often drawn repeatedly as a meditative mechanism.
https://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/borobudur/boro_main.html
