Places Near Yogyakarta

Borobudur is a must see destination on the list of every tourist who visits Indonesia. 42 kms from Yogyakarta it is the largest Buddhist monument in the world and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991. The famous Buddhist temple complex dates back to the 8th and 9th centuries.

For centuries Borobudur lay abandoned and buried under volcanic ash. It was discovered by Sir Thomas Raffles in 1814 and restored by 1835. Many restorations followed to bring the monument to its present glory.

Borobudur is a shrine to Lord Buddha as well as a pilgrimage destination for Buddhists. Built in the form of a mandala (a sacred diagram which represents the universe and its complexities) the temple complex consists of over 2600 reliefs and 504 Buddha statues. It has a main dome at the center of the top platform that is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues. A spectacular site, the Borobudur temple complex is one of the biggest Buddhist temples in the world and one of Asia’s most visited sites.