By now, you are probably aware of the largest Buddhist temple in the world.
Yep, that is the Borobudur Temple!
Borobudur Temple, which is situated in Central Java, Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage, magnificently stands out as one of the most splendid architectural monuments depicting Buddhist culture. This temple is unique for the great physical enclosures that have been constructed in the design of a great, cosmic mandala representation. Created in the IX century, the temple has nine platforms staggered one over the other and culminates in a large bell-shaped roof surrounded by 72 open stupas, each occupied by a statue of Buddha.
The temple has more than 2600 relief panels that are embellished to depict historical episodes of Buddhism, Buddhist stories, and everyday life in ancient Java. Thus, it is regarded as the largest single cadre in the position of all outlines of the Buddhist reliefs. Borobudur has more than just a religious connection; one such is where the site is set, which is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, which further emphasizes the peaceful and prophetic tone of the entire place. The structure of the temple consists of both the symbolic aspects of the Buddhist Universe construction and practical aspects interrelated with technologies in those days that give coffers of ancient Indonesian ingenuity.
It remains a profound cultural and religious site, as it is marked by its annual Vesak, where hundreds of thousands of Buddhists gather to celebrate the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death at the temple of Borobudur.
For the past few years now, visitors to the temple have been limited to up to 1200 people per day. Due to its delicate architecture and historical significance, visitors to Borobudur Temple are restricted to a limited number each day. Like all UNESCO sites, Borobudur receives large numbers of visitors, causing its structure to be damaged over time. Limiting visitors helps limit the onset of wear and tear, including erosion of the stone steps as well as carvings due to high pedestrian traffic.
In addition, the number of excursions taken by guests is regulated for a reason: to make the surroundings calmer and more pleasant, creating good conditions for the guests of the temple to appreciate its culture and religion unhindered by a large crowd. Other reasons include controlling environmental impacts such as protecting the natural surroundings and reducing waste and noise pollution. With this limitation, the officials seek to maintain the tourism level while also protecting the environment so that such an attraction will remain for many more future generations.
If you’ve been to Borobudur temple, congratulations on being part of history! But I’m sure you also know the hassle of getting the tickets 😔😔 Since its limitation two years ago, every summer has become a battleground for the ticket war.
What is best to do is to BOOK YOUR TICKET WITH US! I’m not gonna even try marketing here. Wouldn’t you prefer to just book with ease without having to refresh the ticket page over and over again?
My team and I will get a slot to book the ticket a maximum of two weeks before your date of visit. Now, we can’t promise you a climbing slot, but we try our hardest to ensure that our ‘Next-Steppers’ can fully experience the temple, both on the ground and on the temple stone.
When we get your ticket, we will send it to you, and you can easily waltz into the temple’s check-in desk to ensure that you are shown to the next step, which is collecting the Upanat Sandals. Leti, what is this Upanat Sandals???
Upanat sandals were often referred to in religious/cultural contexts in ancient texts and depictions and were also used for purposes where modesty was required while entering any religious places. They were all a part of the common apparel of ancient civilizations as well as for religious purposes. In Borobudur temple, this next step is important to ensure that you enter the temple in a ‘clean’ slate.
Upanat sandals have a history of wearing, more particularly in ancient India and Southeast Asian countries. The very term, also upanat, is derived from Sanskrit, meaning these are sandals or shoes. These were often quite plain and made of leather, wood, plant fibers, or other such materials and were only worn for practical reasons, protecting the feet.
TIP! Some people might get blisters from the sandals, which is normal. I recommend getting some Petroleum Jelly (not sponsored, purely for academic purposes) in hand to ensure that your feet ain’t bleeding and stop you from your next adventure. Don’t worry, after the temple visit, you can wear your shoes/sandals again as you carry it with the totebag given by the Borobudur team.
Once your Upanat Sandals are worn, you return to the meeting point, where you will gather up for an intro with your guide. Enjoy the tour!
Would you visit Borobudur temple again?
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