Every one of a hundred thousand cities around the world had its own special sunset, and it was worth going there, just once, if only to see the sun go down.
–Ryu Murakami
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Sunset is the opening music of the night.
–Mehmet Murat ildan
A dazzling sunset over the magnificent Borobudur temple
A jewel of amazing proportions and exquisite beauty, the ethereal Borobudur is bound with so many puzzles and mysteries. A cosmic mandala, used for meditation, symbolizing the attainment of nirvana, and the end of samsara.
This magnificent temple sits majestically on a hilltop, overlooking lush green fields ringed by volcanoes, several of them still active. Violent eruptions in the past, covered the entire temple in ash, keeping it hidden for hundreds of years. Indonesia has around 147 volcanoes in total, 76 of which are still active today. Borobudur is located just 25km from Merapi, one of the most active volcanoes in the region.
The entire site contains 504 statues of the Buddha in meditative pose, with different arm positions to represent different states of mind. Pilgrims are climbing to the top of the stupa in a very specific pattern. Through the nine platforms all the way to the central dome, they are learning about the Buddha’s teachings from the stone carvings while praying at the same time. All over the walls of the stupa, the sculptures depict various events related to the bodhisattva’s journey to attain enlightenment. The clockwise movement around the cosmic center represents the path of the sun. Moving from darkness into the light, is the essence of the Borobudur experience. Ascending slowly from the dark galleries of the earthly realm of desire through the world of forms, until one finally emerges into the realm of formlessness to the circular terraces crowned with 72 bell-shaped stupas –that is a caprivating trip…
As I wander through the pathways and the staircases, I am thinking about the mystery covering this gorgeous temple. There have been suggestions that an ancient lake was once surrounding Borobudur, creating the vision of a lotus flower emerging from the waters. The creation of the world’s largest Buddhist temple is shrouded in mystery. Surprisingly, there is no written record, no inscriptions or dates on the walls, therefore the archaeologists can only guess when, and by whom it was built. But the most peculiar fact, is that no ruler or dynasty has ever claimed its creation.
As soon as the sun begins to descend, the whole experience intensifies. Warm rays of light shine their gold through the trees, bathing the gray stone, creating spectacular shadows. Hues of yellow and orange along with blue, dominate the landscape, as the fluffy clouds are painted in always changing colours. Gradually, a different view of the temple unfolds before us, while the night is taking over. The Buddha statues stand dark before the miracle happening on the horizon, different sounds fill the atmosphere…
Offerings of flowers and incense at the base of the monument fill the atmosphere with fragrance, the call to prayer from the nearby village mosques serenades us,
and I feel like dancing the night away …
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