Borobudur, Indonesia

Temple of Borobudur in Indonesia is one of the most magnificent monuments in the world.

Situated in the plane of Kedu in Central Java, the sanctuary is a Buddhist temple that is now a monument of world heritage by UNESCO.

With 60, 000 cubic meters of the religious Palace it is one of the few temples of that era of which have managed to maintain their original appearance.

Built in the 8th century the architect of this temple is considered to be, Gunadharma, although there is no written evidence to confirm this.

Around 1000 years ago the monument was abandoned and forgotten, it was covered with ash ejected from the volcano Merapi. Temple Borobudur was rediscovered in 1814 with a large Buddhist stupa bell, called the sanctuary of the lotus. Its spire is gold. Around the circular terraces there are 72 smaller stupas. The entire pyramid is strengthened by a stone wall called "Hidden Step" which serves as a prop and has a height of 1.5 m.

Around Borobudur, there are 504 Buddha statues. It is believed that Borobudur is the largest, oldest and most beautiful Buddhist temple. It has the shape of a huge stone pyramid with a square base of 118 m. It is composed of 9 terraces with one above the other terraces seen from above a mandala – the Buddhist idea of the shape of the world.

Six of the terraces of the Borobudur are square and are the embodiment of material life and the next three are round and symbolize the spiritual home. The unusual monument was built during the golden age of the mighty dynasty of Sailendra which ruled for a century - from 750 to 850.

All pilgrims and visitors there first pass through the first level of the pyramid, where you can see the friezes depicting the consequences for people who have committed themselves to their desires. With the ascent of the remaining six levels of the temple, visitors learn how to gradually overcome their weaknesses and bias.