HISTORY OF THE BOROBUDUR

A Watercolour painting of borobudur by Sir Stamford Raffles. Copyright Trustees of the British Museum

 

Borobudur was built around the year 800 Ad or 9th century. The temple was built by the adherents of Mahayana Buddhism during the reign of the sailendra dynasty. This temple was built during the heyday of Syailendra dynasty. The founder of the temple namely King Samaratungga originating from the House or the Syailendra dynasty. The possibility of this temple was built around the year 824 M and finished approximately by the 90s 900 A.d. during the reign of Queen Pramudawardhani who was the daughter of Samaratungga. While the architect who built this temple, according to a story passed down through generations named Gunadharma.

Borobudur Temple

The word Borobudur based on first written evidence written by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Governor General of United Kingdom in Java, which gave the name of this temple. There is no written evidence that the older name of Borobudur at this temple. Only the oldest document which shows the existence of this temple is the book of Nagarakertagama, written by Mpu Prapanca in 1365. In the book it is written that this temple was used as a place of Buddhist meditation.

The meaning of the name Borobudur "monastery in the hills", which comes from the word "bara" (temple or Monastery) and "beduhur" (the hills or high place) in Sanskrit. Therefore, in accordance with the meaning of the name Borobudur, then this place is historically used as a place of Buddhist worship.

This temple for centuries is no longer used. Then due to volcanic eruptions, most of the buildings of the temple covered volcanic soils. In addition, the building also covered a wide range of trees and shrubs for centuries. Then the building of this temple is starting to be forgotten at the time Islam came to Indonesia around the 15th century.

In 1814 when the United Kingdom occupied Indonesia, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles hears of the existence of a giant-sized Antiquities discovery in the village of Bumisegoro region. Because of his interest in the history of Java, then Raffles immediately ordered H.C. Cornelius Netherlands, an engineer, to investigate the location of discovery which was then in the form of a hill full of shrubs.

Cornelius was assisted by about 200 men cut down trees and get rid of the Bush that covered the hulking building. Because considering the building already fragile and could collapse, then the Cornelius reported to Raffles the discovery includes some pictures. Due to the discovery that, Raffles awarded as the person who started the restoration of Borobudur Temple and got the attention of the world. In 1835, the entire Temple was successfully excavated. The temple continued to be restored during the colonization of the Netherlands.

After Indonesia became independent, in 1956, the Government of Indonesia requested assistance of UNESCO to examine the damage. Then in 1963, the official government decision out Indonesia to do the restoration of Borobudur temple with the help of UNESCO. But this new restoration really began on August 10, 1973. The process of restoration was completed in 1984. Since 1991, Borobudur Temple was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO or world heritage.