Borobudur Temple- construction

The smaller picture is the view from our hotel, as we ate breakfast on the open-air veranda.
Almost 2 million cubic feet of stones were taken from neighboring rivers to build the monument. The stone was cut to size, transported to the site and laid without mortar. Knobs, indentations and dovetails were used to form joints between stones.

2,672 relief panels at the Borobudur temple

Lion statutes - Borobudur

Access to the upper part of the temple is through stairways in the center,

which is watched by a total of 32 lion statues.

Stupas at Borobudur

A stupa is a symbol of enlightenment and is one of the most ancient icons of Buddhist art. Stupas are also the oldest and most prevalent forms of Buddhist architecture. More than just being examples of art and architecture, these holy monuments were designed with deep symbolism and sacred geometry. Filled with Buddhist relics, and other holy objects, stupas emanate blessings and peace. There are approximately 72 at Borobudur.

Sunrise at Borobudur

We arrived at our hotel, located on the grounds of the temple at 3:30 a.m. (Yet another unique travel experience, found only in Indonesia). We requested the sunrise tour and were awakened at 4:30. I slept in my clothes, since I knew if I changed I'd never want to get out of the bed. The "sunrise tour" consisted of a young man handing us a flashlight each and leading us to the entrance of the temple. We climbed the ten-terraced building in the dark, but it was worth every step.

Borobudur Temple

This is one of Southeast Asia's most spectacular sites, and the largest tourist attraction in Indonesia. Looming out of the surrounding bottle-green rice paddies and swaying palm trees is the Borobudur Temple, the largest Buddhist monument in existence.

Gunung Merapi - Fire Mountain

From the Buddhist monument in Borobudur at sunrise, is the Fire Mountain. It is an immense active volcano, towering 2,911 m over the surrounding area. This is a destructive volcano and every year there are offerings from Yogya's kraton (palace) to appease the mountain's foul temper.