Borobudur Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Borobudur
Borobudur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location	Magelang, Central Java
Built	Originally built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty
Restored	1835
Restored by	Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles
Architect	Gunadharma

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, vi
Designated	1991 (15th session)
Part of	Borobudur Temple Compounds
Reference no.	592
State Party	Indonesia
Region	Southeast Asia

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Borobudur, also known as Barabudur, is a huge Buddhist temple in Indonesia. It was built a long time ago, in the 9th century. You can find it in Magelang, Central Java, a part of Indonesia. This amazing place is the biggest Buddhist temple in the world!

The temple looks like a giant pyramid with nine levels. Six of these levels are square, and three are round. At the very top, there's a large central dome. The whole temple is covered with beautiful carvings called relief panels. There are 2,672 of these! You'll also see 504 statues of Buddha. Around the main dome, there are 72 Buddha statues, each sitting inside a special bell-shaped structure called a stupa.

What is Borobudur?
- A Giant Stone Book
- Buddha Statues and Stupas
History of Borobudur
- Why Was it Forgotten?
- Rediscovery and Restoration
Borobudur Today
- A Place of Worship
- Surrounded by Nature
Images for kids
See also

What is Borobudur?

Borobudur is a very old and important temple dedicated to Buddhism. It's a special kind of Buddhist temple called a Mahayana Buddhist temple. It was built to help people learn about the Buddhist path to enlightenment. The temple is designed like a journey. As you walk up, you learn about different stages of life and spiritual growth.

A Giant Stone Book

The temple is like a giant stone book. Its walls are covered with thousands of detailed carvings. These carvings, called relief panels, tell stories from Buddhist teachings. They show the life of Buddha and other important tales. Walking around the temple, you can follow these stories. It's a bit like reading a comic book carved in stone!

Buddha Statues and Stupas

You'll find many statues of Buddha at Borobudur. There are 504 in total. Some are out in the open, and others are inside bell-shaped structures called stupas. These stupas have holes in them, so you can peek inside and see the Buddha statues. The main dome at the very top is surrounded by 72 of these unique stupas.

History of Borobudur

Borobudur was built around the 9th century. This was during the time of the Sailendra Dynasty in Java. The architect, or main designer, was named Gunadharma. It took many years and a lot of effort to build such a massive stone structure.

Why Was it Forgotten?

For many centuries, Borobudur was forgotten. It became covered by volcanic ash and jungle plants. People believe this happened because of volcanic eruptions from nearby Mount Merapi. Over time, the area became less populated. The temple was hidden away and almost lost to history.

Rediscovery and Restoration

In 1814, Sir Stamford Raffles, who was the British ruler of Java at the time, heard about a large hidden monument. He sent people to clear the jungle and uncover the temple. This was the start of its rediscovery.

Later, in 1835, the temple was fully cleared. Over the years, many efforts were made to restore it. The biggest restoration project happened in the 1970s and 1980s. With help from UNESCO, experts carefully took the temple apart stone by stone. They cleaned and repaired each stone, then put the entire temple back together. This huge project saved Borobudur for future generations.

Borobudur Today

Today, Borobudur is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means it's recognized as a very important place for everyone in the world. It's a popular place for tourists to visit. People come from all over to see its beauty and learn about its history.

A Place of Worship

Borobudur is still an active place of worship for Buddhists. Every year, especially during the Vesak ceremony, Buddhist pilgrims gather here. They meditate and perform rituals on the temple's platforms. It's a peaceful and spiritual experience.

Surrounded by Nature

The temple is located in a beautiful area. It's surrounded by green fields and distant mountains. You can see twin volcanoes, Mount Merbabu and Mount Merapi, in the distance. This natural setting adds to the temple's peaceful atmosphere.

Images for kids

Candi Borobudur viewed from the northwest.
Buddha image within the stupas of Borobudur upper terraces.
A painting by G.B. Hooijer (c. 1916–1919) showing Borobudur as a pilgrimage site.
Borobudur stupas overlooking a mountain.
Borobudur's main stupa in the mid-19th century.
Borobudur in 1872.
Terrace on the temple of Borobudur in 1913.
Borobudur after Van Erp's restoration in 1911.
The Unfinished Buddha from the main stupa of Borobudur.
Improving Borobudur's drainage system during the 1973 restoration.
A 1968 Indonesian stamp promoting restoration.
Buddhist pilgrims meditate on the top platform.
Vesak ceremony at Borobudur.
Location of Borobudur relative to Mount Merapi and Yogyakarta.
Borobudur is surrounded by mountains.
Tourists visiting Borobudur.
Aerial view of Borobudur.
Stairs of Borobudur through arches of Kala.
A narrow corridor with reliefs on the wall.
Queen Maya riding a horse carriage.
Prince Siddhartha Gautama became an ascetic hermit.
A relief from the Gandavyuha story.
A Buddha statue with the hand position of dharmachakra mudra.
Head from a Borobudur Buddha statue in Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam.
Headless Buddha statue in Borobudur.
Lion gate guardian.
Sukarno and India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visiting Borobudur.