Magnificent Borobudur revisited

Magnificent Borobudur revisited

By P.G. Punchihewa

YOGYAKARTA (JP): After descending the last flight of steps leading to Borobudur I turn back to have another look at this magnificent monument which I am leaving behind for the sixth time. In the back of my mind there is a restless feeling. Will there be a seventh time?

Every time I go back I have the desire and hope to come back. It's magnetic charm pulls me again and again like few other places. Is it the sanctity of the place? The serene beauty of the environment? The magnificent edifice itself or the philosophy behind it? I cannot say for certain.

At the Trevi fountain in Rome, visitors throw in coins to make a wish. At the Borobudur there is a covered Buddha statue which visitors try to touch with stretched hands to make a wish. Had I touched it I would have wished to come back. But even though I haven't, here I am for the sixth time.

I recall my first visit in 1977. At that time restoration work had commenced and was progressing. There were statues, some headless, some lying without arms in the compound and others in temporary sheds. Slabs of stores were heaped up. Bas-reliefs were lined up. Workers were busy attending to them. Even in that setting it was a worth a visit. Over the years I have seen the Borobudur restored gradually. More than one million stones have been removed, measured, cleaned, treated and replaced in the course of restoration.

Now it is a magnificent site both from near and far. One cannot imagine how it would have looked a thousand years ago when it was completed by the Saliendras. I do not think there is any document or model which describes its original structure. Sir Thomas Raffles, who initiated investigations into the Borobudur in 1815, surely would have been happy to see the restored Borobudur.

Ascending the stairs during a full moon or as the sun rises are two of the best times to be at Borobudur. I made my way to the gate early morning. But with the gates locked until six in the morning and having had to queue up to buy the entrance ticket, by the time I reached the top the sun was almost up. I missed the sunrise, but the panoramic view from the top with the pervading tranquility all around was worth the early morning dash to the summit.

I gazed all around. On one side the passing clouds allowed an intermittent view of a Mount Merpati struggling to clear itself from the morning mist and haze. The crowns of the coconut trees were a sea of green becoming more visible.

I climbed down, taking my time as there were only a few visitors. I stopped in front of a Buddha with its hands in a meditation pose and observed the half closed eyes exuding calm and tranquility. I walked to another and peeped through the trellis of a stupa. The Buddha statue had its hands in a pose symbolizing fearlessness.

Looking back I see the stupa towering above the entire edifice as a symbol of the final goal. I climb down the stairs from the compound and proceed towards the warungs on the edge of the park. The only thing that disturbs the serenity and sanctity of the environment is the mini train which keeps trudging along and circling the proud monument. But what attracts me most are the bas-reliefs at the lower terraces depicting the life of the Buddha and his previous births.

After nearly a thousand years, battered by inclement weather and buried under volcanic soil, it is surprising that the figures still retain their beauty of expression. It is no wonder that the Borobudur is called the Buddhist marvel of stone. Some even call it the eighth wonder of the world.