Borobudur Temple

In fact, they defended it.

And this is also something that's said of the way in which Islamists in Indonesia, for instance, think about the pre-Islamic past, right? For them, you know, uh, both Islam but also Javaneseness defines why they would not, uh, why they would defend Borobudur, for instance-

Yeah

... as essentially part of their world.

Our route to Yogyakarta was quite nice as well as we had a bit of a mix of busier roads and weaving through smaller gravel tracks that went through rice paddies.

We basically went up to the top of the mountains and then rolled all the way back down to the coast where we then cruised for a couple of days to get up to Borobudur and so, you know, cycled through some absolutely beautiful places.

It was very hot and it was very humid, but the scenery around was just absolutely amazing.

Really, really green and whilst it's similar to, again, kind of Southeast Asia, it's got its own kind of jungle about it and there's all sorts of different plants that you don't see and some wildlife as well that you didn't see anywhere else.

We made our way over to Borobudur, which is the largest Buddhist monument, I think, in the world and one of the oldest ones as well and that was really impressive.

So I think that was the first thing on Java that we wanted to actually see sight-wise.

We spent a few hours there.

But I know just earlier in the same Q&A, I was saying that architecture doesn't have this sort of feeling of ancient architecture.

resonance with me, but one exception to that rule are Vedic temple complexes like Borobudur on Java.

If you've seen Borobudur in the valley with the mist rolling off of it, jungle backdrop, it looks like it's, it's part of the landscape.

Almost.

It's a very begun temp, the begun temples in, uh, Myanmar and Burma, very simple, similar mood.

You can learn quite a lot about a place by looking at what people buy.

But the main reason I went to Yogyakarta was Borobudur.

And it was fantastic.

Actually, mind-blowing is probably the right word.

Giotto's flock of angels from the blue vaulting of a little church in Padua, and near them walked Hamlet and the garlanded Ophelia, fair similitudes of all sadness and misunderstanding in the world.

And there stood Genoso, the aeronaut, in his burning balloon and blew a blast on his horn, Attila carrying his new headgear in his hand, and the Borobudur reared its soaring sculpture in the air.

And though all these figures lived in a thousand other hearts as well, there were ten thousand more unknown pictures and tunes there which had no dwelling place but in me, no eyes to see, no ears to hear them but mine.

The old hospital wall with its gray-green weathering, its cracks and stains in which a thousand frescoes could be fancied.

Legend tells of Sakyamuni that in a previous state of existence he saved the life of a doe and her young one by offering his own life as a substitute.

In one of the priceless panels of Borobudur in Java, this legend is beautifully used.

Footnote Havel, Indian Sculpture and Painting, page 123.

End footnote.

If you've enjoyed listening, then try some of our other episodes.

Search on the titles Canada's War in the Woods, Straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Borobudur Temple.

Please leave a review, tell everyone you know about witness history and make sure you hit subscribe wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Thanks for listening.