Magnificent Borobudur revisited<\/p>\n
By P.G. Punchihewa<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): After descending the last flight of steps
\nleading to Borobudur I turn back to have another look at this
\nmagnificent monument which I am leaving behind for the sixth
\ntime. In the back of my mind there is a restless feeling. Will
\nthere be a seventh time?<\/p>\n
Every time I go back I have the desire and hope to come back.
\nIt's magnetic charm pulls me again and again like few other
\nplaces. Is it the sanctity of the place? The serene beauty of the
\nenvironment? The magnificent edifice itself or the philosophy
\nbehind it? I cannot say for certain.<\/p>\n
At the Trevi fountain in Rome, visitors throw in coins to make
\na wish. At the Borobudur there is a covered Buddha statue which
\nvisitors try to touch with stretched hands to make a wish. Had I
\ntouched it I would have wished to come back. But even though I
\nhaven't, here I am for the sixth time.<\/p>\n
I recall my first visit in 1977. At that time restoration work
\nhad commenced and was progressing. There were statues, some
\nheadless, some lying without arms in the compound and others in
\ntemporary sheds. Slabs of stores were heaped up. Bas-reliefs were
\nlined up. Workers were busy attending to them. Even in that
\nsetting it was a worth a visit. Over the years I have seen the
\nBorobudur restored gradually. More than one million stones have
\nbeen removed, measured, cleaned, treated and replaced in the
\ncourse of restoration.<\/p>\n
Now it is a magnificent site both from near and far. One
\ncannot imagine how it would have looked a thousand years ago when
\nit was completed by the Saliendras. I do not think there is any
\ndocument or model which describes its original structure. Sir
\nThomas Raffles, who initiated investigations into the Borobudur
\nin 1815, surely would have been happy to see the restored
\nBorobudur.<\/p>\n
Ascending the stairs during a full moon or as the sun rises
\nare two of the best times to be at Borobudur. I made my way to
\nthe gate early morning. But with the gates locked until six in
\nthe morning and having had to queue up to buy the entrance
\nticket, by the time I reached the top the sun was almost up. I
\nmissed the sunrise, but the panoramic view from the top with the
\npervading tranquility all around was worth the early morning dash
\nto the summit.<\/p>\n
I gazed all around. On one side the passing clouds allowed an
\nintermittent view of a Mount Merpati struggling to clear itself
\nfrom the morning mist and haze. The crowns of the coconut trees
\nwere a sea of green becoming more visible.<\/p>\n
I climbed down, taking my time as there were only a few
\nvisitors. I stopped in front of a Buddha with its hands in a
\nmeditation pose and observed the half closed eyes exuding calm
\nand tranquility. I walked to another and peeped through the
\ntrellis of a stupa. The Buddha statue had its hands in a pose
\nsymbolizing fearlessness.<\/p>\n
Looking back I see the stupa towering above the entire edifice
\nas a symbol of the final goal. I climb down the stairs from the
\ncompound and proceed towards the warungs on the edge of the park.
\nThe only thing that disturbs the serenity and sanctity of the
\nenvironment is the mini train which keeps trudging along and
\ncircling the proud monument. But what attracts me most are the
\nbas-reliefs at the lower terraces depicting the life of the
\nBuddha and his previous births.<\/p>\n
After nearly a thousand years, battered by inclement weather
\nand buried under volcanic soil, it is surprising that the figures
\nstill retain their beauty of expression. It is no wonder that the
\nBorobudur is called the Buddhist marvel of stone. Some even call
\nit the eighth wonder of the world.<\/p>",
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