Yogyakarta is a town famous for food, culture, and history. And while there is lots of stuff to do in Yogyakarta itself, possibly the most famous attractions lie only a short drive from the town center: the temples of Borobudur. If you’re planning a visit to Yogyakarta, you will soon realize that seeing the Borobudur temple is a must. If you are interested in the Borobudur temple, below are some (almost all of) fascinating facts about the Borobudur temple.
The Basic Information
Borobudur Temple is a mandatory tourist place that should be visited when you are on holiday in Yogyakarta. Just about everyone has seen this place after. However, here is a few information that it is possible to use for those who have never come here. The address of Borobudur Temple is currently Jl. Badrawati, Borobudur, Kec. Borobudur, Magelang. To access the Borobudur Temple, you can use the Trans Jogja bus line A to Jombor. Following that, the trip could be continued by bus on the Jombor – Borobudur course. Then for the amenities, there are plenty of tourist facilities around Borobudur temple. You do not need to be concerned about having trouble locating somewhere to stay or even the closest restaurants. Moreover, numerous activities are maintained through the temple management committee, such as cultural festivals, music events, Buddhist celebrations, and many more.
Borobudur includes visiting hours daily from 6 a.m. to five p.m. To see the sunrise at Borobudur, you also can get a special ticket which lets you enter at 4:30 a.m. (additional information on that below). You will find clean restrooms close to the entrance. There was toilet paper when we were there; however, while traveling in Java, we consistently took some (just in case) in our backpack.
For the crowds: Borobudur is crowded on weekends. Sunrise tends to be a prevalent time to visit in addition to mid-morning through mid-afternoon when big tour buses arrive. You can find windows from 6 a.m. to 9 pm and after the afternoon once the crowds tend to become. It is possible to employ an English-speaking guide on-site or reserve a tour that includes transportation.
The Entrance Fee
See below for several ticket costs (as of April 2020). Ticket prices seem to grow annually, so keep this in mind while you plan your trip. Important Notice: Below is the costs of REGULAR tickets. We have more info later in this informative article about Sunrise and Sunset Tickets (that are more expensive) and the Borobudur + Prambanan Combo Discount Ticket.
Mature
- Foreign Visitor: $25 USD (390,000 IDR)
- Domestic Visitor: $3.50 USD (55,000 IDR)
- Students (must present your valid student ID and get an extra 40 percent off the total ticket price. That’s a savings of USD 10!
- Foreign Student: $15 USD (230,000 IDR)
- Domestic Student: $1.75 USD (27,000 IDR)
- Foreign Child (6 – 10 yo): $15 USD (230,000 IDR)
- Domestic Child (6 – 10 yo): $1.75 USD (27,000 IDR)
Great to know: You can pay with a credit card or money (Indonesian rupiah). The price in USD is set. However, the amount in IDR can fluctuate depending on the current conversion speed.
7 Fun Facts
- Borobudur is the world’s biggest Buddhist temple. This temple was built as a shrine to Lord Buddha and is still a Buddhist pilgrimage website.
- Historians believe that Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century, and evidence suggests that it was abandoned when Islam was introduced into Java, pushing other religions outside.
- Borobudur was built with no cement or mortar to hold the pieces together. Instead, builders employed interlocking techniques to fit the blocks into place.
- After being abandoned, Borobudur lay hidden under the jungle along with layers of volcanic ash for centuries. It was “rediscovered” in the early 1800s when the British ruler of Java learned of its existence.
- The first temple had mind-boggling 504 Buddha statues. Today, 300 of these are broken somehow (generally missing the mind ), and 43 are overlooked. Some of the Buddha statues are on display in museums around the world, like The British Museum in London.
- On the top (almost legendary) degree of Borobudur, 72 Buddha figurines in bell-shaped stupas. If you get close to them and look through the holes, you can view the Buddha. When you look carefully, you will notice that if they look similar, they have various mudras (positioning of the palms).
- One very notable aspect of the building of Borobudur is that it was built with volcanic stone that was laid with no mortar. The structures Remain in place due to how the rock has been cut and the Support of gravity.
Are you planning to visit Borobudur soon? Find out more about Borobudur and Indonesia by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.
