 Borobudur
is the biggest Buddhist temple ever built and also one of the largest
religious monuments in the world. The temple was begun in 750 CE by a
king of the Sailahendra Dynasty of Java and took many years to
finish. Borobudur consists of six polygonal and three circular
terraces one on top of the other and each smaller than the one below
it. The last three round terraces have 73 small stūpas
on them and a large central one. The sides of all the lower terraces
have hundreds of carved panels on them depicting scenes from the
Buddhacarita and the Jātakamāla and
several other Buddhist books. This amazing temple is constructed in
such a way that pilgrims starting at the bottom could learn about the
Buddha's former lives and his last life as they made their way to the
top. Thus Borobudur is actually not only a temple but also a stūpa
and a book of the Dhamma in stone.
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