Borobudur

Borobudur. Famous Javanese stūpa and the largest of Buddhist monuments. Built between the 8th and 9th centuries by the rulers of the Śailendra and Sanjaya dynasties, the stūpa was constructed as a giant maṇḍala or sacred diagram linked with the adventures of Sudhana described in the Gaṇḍavyūha Sūtra. Erected around a natural hillside it comprises five terraces, the walls of which are decorated with bas-reliefs, surmounted by three circular platforms on which are positioned 72 miniature stūpas, themselves gathered around a massive central stūpa. On the first four terraces, the traditional Buddhas of the various directions are represented. On the fifth terrace Vairocana adorns all sides. Circumambulating the stūpa reveals scenes from Śākyamuni Buddha's life, Jātaka tales, and Mahāyāna sūtras. The vertical ascent to the top of the stūpa is considered to be a symbolic journey from saṃsāra to nirvāṇa. The monument was used until the 10th century and some activity continued to take place here until the 14th century. Now an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists worldwide, it has become, since its discovery in the 19th century, an important site for Buddhist scholarly research. The meaning of the name Borobudur is unknown.