Borobudur Temple – The biggest Buddhist temple in Indonesia

Borobudur temple located in the Jogjakarta city on central Java and it is the biggest Buddhist temple in Indonesia. Some archaeologists believe that Borobudur temple was abandoned during 14th century following the fall of Buddhist in Central Java and Javanese stated to convert to Islam. It was then that Borobudur was discovered by Sir Thomas Raffles, the British ruler of Java in 1814. Since then, the Borobudur has undergone some restorations and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I have been 3 times went to Borobudur temple and I was always amazed on how many tourist (both local can foreign) to appreciate the structures and reliefs of the temple.

A quote from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur:

The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome is located at the center of the top platform, and is surrounded by seventy-two Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.

The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely, Kamadhatu (the world of desire); Rupadhatu (the world of forms); and Arupadhatu (the world of formless). During the journey, the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.