Borabadur

We went to Borobudur back in in September, but I thought you might still enjoy seeing it.  Let me give you some history of Borobudur (okay, let's be honest, wikipedia is giving you this history lesson!).

Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist temple.  It is about 40 km (25 miles, but we live in a land of km) northwest of Yogya, and likely built around 800 AD.  It lay hidden for centuries under volcanic rock and was finally unearthed around 1835.  Now there are about 2.5 million visitors annually.  Borobudur is about 118 meters (387 feet) on each side and has 9 platforms. The upper platform features seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large central stupa. Each stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative openings. Statues of the Buddha sit inside the pierced enclosures.  There are a total of 504 Buddha statues on the temple.  Borobudur has the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world.  The highest point is 35 m (115 ft) above ground.  The carvings along the walls tell stories (you can go to wikipedia if you would like to learn each story).  The monument is both a shrine to the lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage.

So, that's your short history lesson for the day.  Now for the pictures . . . 

 

 Trying to get a good jumping picture!