All About Universe Arounds Me: Aug 15, 2011

Yihaaaawww.. Today I would write of our national and international pride temple. Architectural of Borobudur in Indonesia. If Peru has Inca temples, Egypt has pyramids, Greece has Meteora and we are Indonesian has Borobudur and many more where later ( I hope so ) can share with you in different blog special about Indonesia. In this article today is about Borobudur's architectural technology.

We should understand and proud of our ancestors that long time back, with simplicity and minimalist tools, they can build something that ever lasting. Parts of universe to remember that technology of ancestors architectures always remarkable and need to be conserved for the world to see.

The great things in using materials for building Borobudur is that the ancestors used stone and is not like any other old historical building which used chicken eggs as an adhesive material. Borobudur used locked-stone system : inter-linked and locked mutually the stone each other. In short way is like three dimensional structure resembles jigsaw puzzle in aim to strong and solid the building.

Borobudur construction is not known in time exact. It was estimated between 750 - 850 century and was estimated to build this has taken 50 years to complete the works. Borobudur area is 15,129m squares and being made by using 2 millions rocks; locked-rocks ( lego blocks stones ). Average size of each stone was 25cm x 10cm x 15cm. Overall length of 500 km stone pieces, and total weight is 1.3 millions tons. The consideration, why the ancestors made Borobudur on hill was about to cost-controlling of stones usage. And in the other way, there was philosophy behind that why Borobudur had built on the hill for reason to worship the gods to be near to heaven sky.

According to study: there were two ways that ancestors used in splitting the rocks:

At first stone would be marked by sculptured sides. Then, above the sculpture, they lit the fire. When the stones was being fired and became very hot, then the stones was poured-over by water. The hot stone with sudden chilled would burst and split.
Thee stones which wanted to be split marked with carving holes. Every holes filled with a kind of wooden pegs. The wooden pegs were then flushed with cold water. Wet wood would hit the stones until it breaks and splits.

Borobudur Building Structure & Its Philosophy

Borobudur has the basic structure such as staircase, with six yards shape as like square and conical shape-up, three circular courtyard and a main stupa ( shrines to gods ) as a peak and in the yard spreads with many stupa as well. Initially built storey apartment lay-out at first. The Borobudur's architect chose to build it on a hill, which is distinguished this Borobudur than other temples in Java or other places where are mostly was built on flat-ground.
Borobudur has 10 yards as thesecond structure which describing the court of Mahayana philosophy : ten levels of Bodhisattva that must be accomplished to be a perfect Buddha.
The feet area as the third structure of Borobudur which represent Kamadhatu, which means the world still dominated by ' kama ( bad-desire ). This area is covered with pile of stones that allegedly made to strengthened the temple's construction. There are additional closed sections, there are 120 panels which talking about Kammawibanggha story.
The fourth floor with reliefs on the walls which called Rupadathu, The shape of this area is rectangular. Rupadhatu has meaning that a world that can be able to break free from lust, but still bound by the appearance and shape. This fourth level is describing the above nature ( minds ) and bottom nature ( desire ). You will find Buddha statues in the recesses of wall above breezeways.
Starting to the fifth to the seventh floor, the walls not have reliefs. This level called Arupadhatu ( means no tangible form ). The shape of floor is circular. In this part of level has meaning that the nature where already free from desire with no bound of shapes and forms of appearance. But still not in heaven-nirvana yet. Buddha statues are placed inside the stupa which covered with holes as like in cage.
The upper levels has many stupa , and the biggest and largest stupa is describing the absence forms of human, and unite with the universe and already in heaven. The stupa depicted plain and without holes.

The amazing facts of Borobudur structure is that its was built by maths concept in each area of feet, body, and the head of temple has ratio 4 : 6 : 9. And by the study special for Borobudur temple has found that it has Mandala shape, which I would refer you to this link to know better ( because it is more details information by experts and good for you too to know better ). Here is the Special about Borobudur