Java Jamboree: Borobudur!

Prambanan Temple by far is not the only ancient temple found in Central Java. In fact, here in the Kedu Plain, are found some of the earliest Buddhist temples in Indonesia. Towards the north of Prambanan Temple for example, are the ruins of Bubrah temple, Lumbung temple, and Sewu temple while further east is the Plaosan temple. To the west are the Kalasan temple, Sari temple and Sambisari temple and then of course, there is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction, the ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist Monument, the Candi Borobudur between the two twin volcanoes, Sundoro-Sumbing and Merbabu-Merapi and the two rivers, Progo and Elo. Borobudur was founded around 800 AD. during the Sailendra dynasty and was under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth until after the Anglo-Dutch Java War (1810-1811) when the British governor Thomas Stamford Raffles in his quest for antiques, heard from the loccal inhabitants that there was a big monument deep in a jungle near the village of Bumisegoro; following which, he sent H.C. Cornelius, a Dutch engineer, to investigate. Borobudur is therefore a must see place. My friends and I made for this monument very early one morning just to catch it set against dawn...

Traveling Tip: Start early!

Comments

Liudmila said…
I would like to visit that region... It's a pitty you don't have photos of all that temples...
footiam said…
It is cheap travelling here and very cheap especially if you convert your Euros to the the local currency. We can't get to see all the temples since they are at different location. Foreigners always come here for Borobudur. It is very impressive.