World legacy awaits caretakers<\/p>\n
Built between 762 and 824 A.D. during the Syailendra Dynasty,
\nBorobudur Temple is prominent in the landscape as an intriguing
\nhistorical monument.<\/p>\n
The World Heritage Committee has inscribed Borobudur temple
\ninto the World Heritage List of the Unesco-Heritage Center since
\nDecember 1991. The temple is refined work in the form of a
\nstepped pyramid of six rectangular stories, three circular
\nterraces and culminated in a central, grand stupa, and comprises
\nof some 55,000 square meters of stones.<\/p>\n
When it was first discovered during the Dutch colonial time,
\naccording to head of the Center for Borobudur Study and
\nConservation Dukut Santoso, the temple was in a ruined shape.<\/p>\n
\"It was still in a very poor shape when I joined the Borobudur
\nrestoration project in 1971,\" said Dukut, who is also vice
\nchairman of the 4th International Expert Meeting on Borobudur's
\nsteering committee.<\/p>\n
The restoration project that Dukut joined in was not the first
\nrestoration work done of the largest Buddhist temple in the
\nworld. Reports say the first large scale restoration work was
\nheld in 1907 to 1911 by a Dutch engineer named Teodhore Van Erp.<\/p>\n
But the restoration conducted by Van Erp was only partial,
\njust to prevent the temple from collapsing. It did not stop the
\ntemple's damaging process, like due to natural factors.<\/p>\n
The temple kept deteriorating and in 1969, it was declared in
\na dangerous condition and in need of restoration.<\/p>\n
With the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
\nand Cultural Organization (Unesco) and other international
\norganizations under the coordination of Unesco, the government
\nconducted a comprehensive restoration of Borobudur in 1973-183.<\/p>\n
According to Hubertus Sadirin of the Indonesian Ministry of
\nCulture and Tourism, Borobudur was the only archeological
\nheritage in Indonesia that was restored comprehensively by
\ninvolving modern technology to diagnosis technical problems
\nencountered during the restoration works.<\/p>\n
Yet, again, the successful restoration that was completed in
\n1983 could not totally stop the natural deterioration process of
\nthe temple, like those due to natural factors such as rainwater,
\nradiation, and microorganism. The restoration, therefore, just
\nslow the process down.<\/p>\n
Superficial scaling, cementation and micro-cracking are among
\nthe problems the Borobudur conservation center has been dealing
\nwith in its routine conservation works. The conservation work
\nitself, according to Dukut, basically consists of two main
\nactivities, routine maintenance and monitoring.<\/p>\n
Routine maintenance includes mechanical washing, which is
\nconducted twice a year, and chemical washing once a year.
\nMonitoring activities mainly focus on monitoring the condition of
\nthe stones, the temple structure and the hill beneath the temple.<\/p>\n
Of the three, both the temple structure and the hill were
\nconsidered in good conditions. Researcher Kabul Basah Suryolelono
\nof Gadjah Mada University, who has conducted a stabilization
\nanalysis and monitoring of the temple, confirmed the condition.<\/p>\n
The stones condition, according to Dukut, was the most
\nconcerning, especially the superficial scaling on it due to the
\nexistence of seepage water in the stones. Such a superficial
\nscaling could eventually damage the temple relief if nothing was
\ndone about it, he said.<\/p>\n
The conservation center has so far found 112 locations of
\nseepage water on the temple stones since the completion of the
\nrestoration of Borobudur in 1983. They are spread out in the
\nfirst gallery (81 locations), second gallery (six locations),
\nthird gallery (six locations) and fourth gallery (19 locations).<\/p>\n
Further research conducted after the completion of the
\nrestoration revealed the seepage water happened due to various
\nproblems related to the lead sheet installed beneath the temple
\nbalustrade. The problems included lead sheet perforation, leaning
\nposition and improper installation.<\/p>\n
The problem was, of the 112 locations found since 1983, only
\n12 of them have been successfully repaired during 1992 to 2001.
\nWhat was concerning, according to Dukut, was not because the
\nseepage water could not be stopped but instead it was mainly due
\nto limited fund and human resources.<\/p>\n
The Center of Borobudur Study and Conservation currently
\nemploys 114 civil servants and 30 employees paid by honorarium.
\nOf the 114 civil servants, 54 are security guards, 50 are
\ntechnicians, and the rest are administrative staffs.
\nUnfortunately, most of them are going to retire in 2005, leaving
\nonly two security guards in 2007.<\/p>\n
\"I can imagine what would happen to the conservation works
\nhere when no one is left due to retirement,\" said Dukut, adding
\nthat he had tried to propose recruitment but so far he received
\nno clear answer.<\/p>\n
\"This could create a serious problem in the future if nothing
\nis done about it. We are dealing with a world heritage,\" Dukut
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
-- Sri Wahyuni<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/world-legacy-awaits-caretakers-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }