Buddha Statue at Borobudur Temple

Buddhism has existed for 1000s of years, and so has its statues and artistry. But what is more representative of the artistry and religion of Buddhism than these marvelous and exceptional sculptures of Buddha? But if one was to suspect where the oldest sculpture was, one would likely guess India, Thailand, and Myanmar because of the appeal of travel and leisure in these areas; but in actuality the earliest statue of Buddha is in Indonesia. Angkor Wat is probably the most popular sculpture or temple that numerous individuals think of when thinking of a statue of Buddha, and would likely be everyone's initial guess.

The Temple the earliest Buddha statue is located in is known as Borobudur Temple in the Central Java province. This temple is thought to be between 7th or 8th century in age. Indonesia is predominantly Muslim now, and the temple was ditched centuries ago because of the mass conversion process to Islam in the nation. Forgotten for hundred of years from neglect, the temple was covered in ashes and taken over by jungle, hiding in the forest and forgotten.

It was not until 1814 that an Englishman found the temple in 1816, and ever since then the restoration process has begun to take place with the Indonesian federal government leading the charge in partnership with UNESCO. It's a true blessing that this majestic temple and Buddha sculpture has not fell victim to war and eliminated due to religious contrasts.

To describe the temple and its Buddha statues would be a travesty for the temple, because the layout and design of this temple were meticulously designed to portray and underlining tone of Buddhism. The temple provides a wide variety of designs and architecture. At one location of the temple a person can see structures of a large "stupa" or a Mandala, the main part of the temple is square in contour, and is surrounded by plates of the education of Buddha along with sculptures of Buddha. On the mount, there is a mount or a point standing for the knowledge of Buddha.
The structure itself is one having many in and out 90 degree points that forms what looks like an overall square design. On the top of this contour is a platform that has the stupa and mandala wheel. And on the very top is the mound that represents enlightenment.

The lack of assisting traveler sites in the location and channels to funnel information about this temple, the temple has not gained as much publicity as the ones in Myanmar or even Afghanistan for that matter.

This temple Of course, there may still be older statues that exist, but these have yet to be uncovered. Just like the temples and structures of the ancient Aztecs in Mexico, numerous of these buildings have been covered by dense forest and forgotten over time.

It will be important for the Indonesian federal government to continue to take a proactive role in dependably supporting and preserving this special Buddhist temple in Indonesia.