| Borobudur Temple Compounds | |
| Native Name: | Kompleks Candi Borobudur |
| Native Language: | id |
| Coordinates: | -7.608°N 110.204°W |
| Location: | Magelang, Central Java |
| Designation1: | WHS |
| Designation1 Type: | Cultural |
| Designation1 Criteria: | i, ii, vi |
| Designation1 Date: | 1991 (15th session) |
| Designation1 Number: | 592 |
| Designation1 Free1name: | Region |
| Designation1 Free1value: | Southeast Asia |
| Designation1 Free2name: | Includes |
| Designation1 Free2value: | Borobudur Mendut Pawon |
Borobudur Temple Compounds is the World Heritage designation of the area of three Buddhist temples in Central Java, Indonesia. It comprises Borobudur, Mendut, and Pawon. The temples were built during the Shailendra dynasty around the 8th and 9th centuries CE and fall on a straight line.
Approximately 40km (30miles) northwest of Yogyakarta, Borobudur sits on a plateau between two twin volcanoes, Sundoro-Sumbing and Merbabu-Merapi, and two rivers, the Progo and the Elo. According to local myth, the area known as Kedu Plain is a Javanese sacred place and has been dubbed 'the garden of Java' due to its high agricultural fertility.[1]
During restoration in the early 20th century, it was discovered that three Buddhist temples in the region, Borobudur, Pawon and Mendut, fall on a straight line.[2] This may be coincidence, but is in agreement with a native folk tale that there was an ancient brick road from Borobudur to Mendut with walls on both sides. The three temples have similar architecture and ornamentation, which suggests a ritual relationship between them to form a sacred unity, although the exact ritual process is unknown.[3]
There are two museums within Borobudur Temple Compounds, Karmawibhangga Museum and Samudra Raksa Museum.
| Borobudur TempleImage:Mendut Temple Afternoon.jpg | Mendut TempleImage:Pawon.jpg | Pawon TempleImage:Borobudur Temple Compounds-111340.jpg | Detail on wall |
Other Buddhist temples and Hindu temples are scattered in the area. The earliest is Gunung Wukir or Canggal Hindu temple dated 732 CE. According to an Canggal inscription discovered in the temple complex, the Shivaite King Sanjaya commissioned a Shivalinga sanctuary to be built on the Wukir hill, only 100NaN0 east of Borobudur.[4]
Ngawen temple is found to the east of Mendut temple.
The ruin of Banon temple, a Hindu temple, is several hundred meters north of Pawon temple. It could not be reconstructed because many stones are missing, but several stone statues of Hindu gods were found in good condition. Those of Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, and Ganesha are now at the National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta.