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Borobudur Facts & Worksheets

Borobudur Temple Compounds located in the southern region of Central Java is one of the world's most significant Buddhist monuments.

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Borobudur Temple Compounds is one of the world’s most significant Buddhist monuments, built in the 8th and the 9th century CE during the era of the Sailendra Dynasty. The monument’s site can be found in the Kedu Valley, located in the southern region of Central Java, in the middle of the island of Java, Indonesia.

See the fact file below for more information on Borobudur, or you can download our 31-page Borobudur worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Etymology

  • Borobudur was constructed in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, a cone stem with three circular platforms, and a massive stupa at the summit.
  • Fine low reliefs occupy a total surface area of 2,500 square meters and are included on the walls, balustrades, and other architectural elements. Surrounding the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each carrying a Buddha figure. The monument was repaired in the 1970s with the assistance of UNESCO.
  • Ancient temples in Indonesia are called candi, so the locals call Borobudur Temple Candi Borobudur. Candi is also more generally used to refer to other types of historic buildings like gates and baths. 
  • The word “Bo” means “large,” and “Budur” means “Buddha,” therefore, together, they form the name “Borobudur.” Borobudur was first mentioned in Raffles’s account of Javanese history. Raffles mentioned a building he called Borobudur, although no earlier records refer to a building by that name.

Geography and Location 

  • Borobudur is close to two more Buddhist temples in the Kedu Plain: Pawon and Mendut. Scholars and archaeologists believe that because the temples are all in a straight line, they must have had some relationship. However, the significance of this is still the subject of scholarly discussion. 
  • Borobudur is located approximately 40 km northwest of Yogyakarta and 86 km west of Surakarta in central Java. The temple is between two volcanoes, Mt. Sindoro-Sumbing and Mt. Merbabu-Merapi, and two rivers, Progo and Elo. 
  • It is known that the ancient and medieval Javanese, regardless of whether they adhered to Hinduism or Buddhism, considered the Kedu Plain to be one of the holiest destinations on the island of Java due to its immense agricultural productivity.
  • Ancient peoples revered both the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers in the region now known as India since it was believed that these rivers descended from the sacred Ganges and Yamuna rivers. The Hindu Gunung Wukir temple sanctuary, which dates back to around 732 CE and is located only 10 kilometers west of Borobudur on the Kedu Plain, is not surprising given the prominence of the area given that it is also located there.
  • The main temple consists of three layers built around a natural hill: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the stem of a cone with three circular platforms, and a colossal stupa at the top. The walls and balustrades are ornamented with delicate low reliefs, spanning a total surface area of 2,520 m². Surrounding the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each with a Buddha statue.

Origin 

  • The origin of the word “Borobudur” is the topic of significant scholarly discussion and remains a mystery. Some academics assert that the name derives from the Sanskrit Vihara Buddha Uhr or “Buddhist Monastery on a Hill,” while others think Budur is merely a Javanese geographical name. Bhumi Sambhara Budhara, also known as the “Mountain of Virtues of Ten Stages of the Bodhisattva,” is mentioned on a stone tablet from 842 CE. “Borobudur” and “Bharabhudara” may be connected.
  • The capital of the Mataram Kingdom was reported to have migrated eastwards away from Borobudur in the 10th or 11th century CE due to volcanic eruptions, which may have lessened Borobudur’s importance as a pilgrimage site. Although Arab, Persian, and Gujarati traders introduced Islam to what is now Indonesia as early as the eighth and ninth centuries CE.
  • Borobudur’s value has diminished as the Javanese population has embraced Islam in large numbers. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and rainforest growth hid Borobudur from the Javanese for centuries, rendering it inaccessible. Nonetheless, there is evidence that Borobudur never left the Javanese people’s collective cultural consciousness. Even when they converted to Islam, Javanese traditions and myths later continued associating the temple with mystery and evil spirits.
  • Buddhists conducted pilgrimages to Borobudur and performed Buddhist ceremonies there from the early medieval period up until the temple was abandoned in the 1400s CE. In addition, the underlying causes of Borobudur’s abandonment are contested, and the temple’s eventual abandonment remains a mystery. 

Arts and Architecture

  • Borobudur is a remarkable ancient Buddhist structure that can only be matched in Southeast Asia by Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Buddhist temples of Bagan in Myanmar, the Hindu temples of Mỹ Sơn in Vietnam, and the ruins of Sukhothai in Thailand. 
  • Borobudur features over 3,000 bas-relief carvings and over 500 Buddha statues. Each of these sculptures is one-of-a-kind in that it depicts the Buddha’s teachings, life, and personal wisdom. When considered as a whole, Borobudur has the most Buddhist sculptures of any place today.
  • Sculptors embellished and adorned the temples’ many galleries before everything was coated in paint and plaster in ancient times. This approach has helped to preserve these statues for over a thousand years.
  • Borobudur is built on a natural hill rather than a flat one. The construction method, however, is identical to that of other temples in Java. Borobudur, with no inner area like other temples and a general shape comparable to a pyramid, was once assumed to have served as a stupa than a temple. 
  • A stupa is a shrine dedicated to the Lord Buddha. Stupas were sometimes created only as Buddhist devotional symbols. A temple, on the other hand, is a dwelling of divinity with worship places inside. The precise architecture of the monument reveals that Borobudur is, in fact, a temple.
  • Borobudur was built with almost 1.6 million blocks of andesite, a volcanic rock. These rocks were cut and bonded without the use of any mortar. Borobudur consists of three monuments: the main temple and two smaller temples located east of the main temple. 
  • The Pawon Temple and the Mendut Temple are the two smaller temples, with the latter housing a massive sculpture of Buddha encircled by two Bodhisattvas. Borobudur, Pawon, and Mendut represent each individual’s journey to reach Nirvana. All three temples are also in a straight line. Ngawen, a Buddhist temple from the eighth century CE, is about 10 kilometers from Borobudur’s main temple. The Banon Temple, a ruined Hindu temple, is just a few meters north of Pawon.
  • Around Borobudur’s circular platforms are 72 stupas, each with a Buddha statue. This allocation and definition of space are consistent with the Buddhist view of the universe. The universe is divided into three domains in Buddhist cosmology: arupadhatu, rupadhatu, and kamadhatu. The three platforms and giant stupa here signify Arupadhatu, the five terraces represent Rupadhatu, and the temple’s base represents Kamadhatu.

Cultural Significance

  • Borobudur is a Buddhist temple complex that memorializes and reifies the teachings of that religion, so it is crucial to appreciate how its visitors’ experiences connect to those teachings. Buddhism has been confronting the apparent contradictions of human life since its inception some two thousand five hundred years ago. 
  • Devotees who ascend the structure’s four galleries to the terraces above will find themselves surrounded by 72 stupas, each housing a statue of the Buddha seated within a stone latticework. The large central stupa, an emblem of spiritual enlightenment, stands at the temple’s highest point.
  • According to Mahayana Buddhist doctrine, the act of ascending Borobudur is a pilgrimage in and of itself. The faithful are led from one symbolic plane of consciousness to the next higher level by the stories and wisdom of the bas-reliefs as they ascend from level to level.
  • Buddhism’s most fundamental tenet is the impermanence and transience of existence. Realizing that the concept of a stable, unchanging “self” is a fallacy is crucial to attaining transcendent wisdom through the Dharma (the Noble Eightfold Path).

Borobudur Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Borobudur across 31 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Borobudur, one of the world’s most significant Buddhist monuments

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  • Borobudur (Java, Indonesia) Facts
  • Borobudur Temple
  • Identification
  • Landscape
  • Compare and Contrast
  • The Origin
  • The 3 Temple
  • Buddhist Temple
  • Architecture
  • Draw It
  • Meditating Buddha

Frequently Asked Questions

What is interesting about Borobudur?

Dating back to the era of the 8th-9th century AD, The Borobudur Temple Compounds is arguably one of the world’s most renowned Buddhist monuments. Nestled in the Kedu Valley region of Central Java at Indonesia’s center point -the island of Java-this remarkable monument stands as a testament to its creators and those who lived through its conception for centuries after.

Why do people go to Borobudur?

The world’s most splendid Buddhist temple, made of two million stones, stands tall and proud, with its stupas resembling great bells. Each one houses a statue of Buddha gazing majestically into the horizon; these are complemented by intricate stone reliefs that add to its allure.

What is the story of Borobudur?

Constructed during the Shailendra dynasty between 778 and 850 AC, Borobudur was hidden under volcanic ash until its rediscovery by English Lieutenant Governor Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1814. Then, a team of Dutch archaeologists initiated restoration efforts that were completed in 1907–11.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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