Indonesia — Semarang, Borobadur Temple

South of Semarang, in Central Java’s Magelang Regency, lies a Marayana Buddhist temple. The name of this immense temple it Borobudur and it is believed to date back to the 9th century, possibly to the year 842. Borobudur is shrouded in mystery, as no one knows for sure exactly when it was built, when it was eventually abandoned, or why it was no longer used. The assumption is that it may have fallen into disuse following the rise in Indonesia of Islam. The site disappeared beneath a layer of volcanic ash and vegetation, only to be rediscovered in 1814. SInce that time the temple has undergone several restorations.

The picture above only hints at the detail that awaits you here. There are, for instance 432 statues of Buddha out of the 504 that originally adorned the site.

Also in evidence throughout the massive temple are stupas — hemispherical structures or mounds. The main stupa is quite impressive even from ground level:

Smaller stupas and niches containing Buddha statuary are evident in this next photo:

Put it all together and you get:

And, yes, you are allowed to walk onto the temple and climb as high as you like:

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