Borobudur, Indonesia 

Borobudur stupa is the world's largest Buddhist monument (as large as a Giza pyramid) and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located near the city of Jogjakarta on the island of Java, it's a stunning remnant of the days when the Dharmic religions were politically ascendant in the islands. It was commissioned and built between 800 and 900 CE by the local monarchs so that devotees need not travel all the way to India for spiritual pilgrimage. Drawing Buddhist pilgrims from as far away as China, its grandeur would have raised the stature of the local monarchs in the eyes of the Buddhist world, which at the time encompassed the whole of southern and eastern Asia. Some say that the site was chosen for being surrounded by three volcanoes, which can be seen in the near distance, and the confluence of two rivers, meant to represent the Ganga and Jamuna of India.

It took two generations of workers to fashion the remarkable monument from over 2 million little blocks of lava rock, gathered from the nearby volcanoes, then grooved and notched to fit into place like a 3D jigsaw puzzle for the gods. The massive black stupa must have been impressive, rising above a sea of unbroken jungle, like a lotus floating on a green pond. When it was completed, the pious meditated as they slowly circumambulated its 10 levels.

Going upward from the bottom, levels 2-6 are covered by scenes from Buddha's life and teachings, carved in low relief, each one of the 3,000 panels entirely unique. These levels are meant to represent the concerns of this material existence. On the next 4 layers one sees only bell-shaped stupas and statues of the Buddha, which represent increasing degrees of perfection and proximity to Nirvana. Altogether, Borobudur monument is adorned with 555 Buddha statues. Its 10 tiers form a mandala when viewed from the sky (which no one in those days could have done). The resulting symmetries and geometries make for an immersive experience of entering a hallowed place. In those days there would have been thousands of monks from all over Asia, making it a great religious center.

A surprising feature of the monument is the degree to which the artisans mimicked the Indian style of sculpture and relief. They nearly replicated the look and feel of contemporary Indian Buddhist carvings, while creating an original design for the stupa as a whole. Many of the relief panels are simpler in scope than those from ancient India, yet the craftsmen reproduced very well the fine and nuanced expressiveness of the faces, similar to what one sees on Indian stupas and temples of that period. To accomplish this, legions of Indian craftsmen were brought in to teach, train, and work alongside the local craftsmen. Many of them married in and stayed on here for the rest of their lives.

The stupa at Borobudur was in use for only 150 years before the site was abandoned. The local populations fled eastward (probably to Bali), possibly because of insurmountable devastation caused by a volcanic eruption. Thereafter, the monument fell to ruins and was reclaimed by the jungle for almost 800 years. It was finally uncovered by the Dutch and English during colonial times. [—Usha Alexander, Aug 2009]

Nearing Borobudur (1, 2) Nearing Borobudur Nearing Borobudur Nearing Borobudur	From 9th cent. BCE (more) From 9th cent. BCE From 9th cent. BCE	A Buddhist pilgrimage site A Buddhist pilgrimage site	Made of lava rock Made of lava rock
Nine platforms (1, 2) (a scale model) Nine platforms Nine platforms Nine platforms Nine platforms			Two million blocks (1, 2) Two million blocks Two million blocks Two million blocks
Sculpted walls (1, 2) Sculpted walls Sculpted walls Sculpted walls			Sixth level (1, 2) Sixth level Sixth level Sixth level
Stupas on top three levels Stupas on top three levels	Near two volcanoes (more) Near two volcanoes Near two volcanoes	Buddha statue inside (1, 2) Buddha statue inside Buddha statue inside Buddha statue inside	More perforated stupas More perforated stupas
Wall detail (1, 2) Wall detail Wall detail Wall detail			Niches and statues Niches and statues
Carved panels Carved panels	Carved panels (1, 2) Carved panels Carved panels Carved panels	Carved panels (1, 2) Carved panels Carved panels Carved panels	Carved panels Carved panels
Ancient ship replica in local museum (1, 2) Ancient ship replica in local museum Ancient ship replica in local museum Ancient ship replica in local museum	Yoni-Lingam found on site Yoni-Lingam found on site	Visiting kids Visiting kids	Two smoking volcanoes Two smoking volcanoes
Mendut Temple and Candi Pawon
Mendut Temple (back) Mendut Temple Mendut Temple	Exterior panels (1, 2) Exterior panels Exterior panels Exterior panels	Sitting Buddha (more) Sitting Buddha Sitting Buddha	Candi Pawon (more) Candi Pawon Candi Pawon