SEAArch - The Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog

04 June 2007 (Jakarta Post) - For this week at the Mangga Dua Square in Jakarta, shoppers will be treated to an exhibition on the greatest Buddhist monument in Southeast Asia, Borobudur.

Ancient past exhibited in mall

…

For the next seven days starting Sunday, the seemingly distant topic of archaeology will be bridged by the exhibition, “Tracing the Nusantara civilization from the 9th to 12th centuries, Maha Karmawibhangga: The hidden legacy at the foot of Borobudur.”

“We want to bring this topic closer to the public and reveal things that previously remained exclusive to academics,” the Tourism and Culture Ministry’s head of cultural research and development, Junus Satrio Atmodjo, said last week.

The famed Borobudur serves as a lure to bring people in and pique their interest in Indonesia’s ancient past.

The timing of the exhibition was impeccable, with Buddhists commemorating Buddha’s Day of Enlightenment, or Waisak, the Friday before its opening.

Working with the Indonesia Sangha Conference, the ministry is putting on a full week of events as part of the exhibition, including art performances that will highlight the country’s rich cultural past.

In building Borobudur, the ancient civilization of Syailendra was thoughtful enough to provide a temple that would serve as a historical library for future generations.

…

Read more about the Borobudur exhibition at Mangga Dua Square mall.

Books about the great Buddhist monument, Borobudur:
- The Restoration of Borobudur (World Heritage Series)
- The Lost Temple of Java (History/Journey’s Into the Past) by P. Grabsky
- The Mysteries of Borobudur: Discover Indonesia Series by J. N. Miksic
- Borobudur by L. Frederic and J. Nou
- Borobudur: Golden Tales of the Buddhas (Periplus Travel Guides) by J. Miksic
- The Magnificence of Borobudur by D. D. Burhan

24 April 2007 (Jakarta Post) - This news is related to the earlier post about the visual art exhibition on Borobudur in Jogjakarta. Here, the story also touches on the restoration work on the Buddhist monument.

Preserving Borobudur’s legacy beyond bricks and mortar

The world-famous and heritage-listed Borobudur Buddhist temple was over the weekend the subject of much discourse as experts argued around how best to preserve and maintain not just the temple building — but everything it represents, including religious expression, cultural heritage and art history.

“Long-term preservation must go further than just the recovery of the physical monument,” said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

…

“After such a successful physical restoration, we must address the next challenges — to develop and undertake further studies and research; to restore the natural landscape around the complex; to involve surrounding communities; and to somehow balance all this with sustainable tourism.

“Only this comprehensive approach will lead to true sustainability in the long term,” he said.

Built between 750 and 850, the 40-meter high temple comprises two million huge stone blocks. The building was “lost” for many years and not rediscovered until 1814 during Dutch occupation.

The first restoration phase was conducted in the early 20th century (1905-1911) by Theo Van Erp and focused on improving drainage and structural restoration.

A second massive restoration program was then conducted by the Indonesian government between 1973 and 1983, with full support from UNESCO.

This giant effort bought together 27 countries and a range of private companies from around the world. The total cost was US$25 million.

Related Books:
- The Restoration of Borobudur (World Heritage Series)
- The Mysteries of Borobudur: Discover Indonesia Series by J. N. Miksic

21 April 2007 (Antara) - The greatest Buddhist monument on the face of the earth becomes the subject of a visual art exhibition to held in Jogjakarta from April 20 to May 9.

Indonesia, Unesco hold expo on Borobudur temple

Indonesia`s Cultural and Tourism Ministry and The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organized a visual art exhibition entitled `The Thousand Mysteries of Borobudur` in Yogyakarta.

“This expo marks the revival of Borobudur through visual art performances from various works of arts,” Jogja Gallery Curator Mikke Susanto said when opening the exhibition at the Jogja Gallery, here late Friday.

The expo displays various paintings, statues, graphics, photography, and videos depicting the Borobudur Temple.

Visitors of the exhibition could get a picture about the Borobudur Temple in the past, before and after the restoration.

…

The exhibition will last from April 20 to May 9, 2007, at the Jogja Gallery, Yogyakarta northern square.

Related Books:
- The Restoration of Borobudur (World Heritage Series)
- The Lost Temple of Java (History/Journey’s Into the Past) by P. Grabsky
- The Mysteries of Borobudur: Discover Indonesia Series by J. N. Miksic
- Borobudur by L. Frederic and J. Nou
- Borobudur: Golden Tales of the Buddhas (Periplus Travel Guides) by J. Miksic

13 June 2006 (Jakarta Post) - An interesting discussion on the volcano Mount Merapi Borobodur, and whether Borobodur ever existed partly underwater or covered by ash.

Borobudur and Merapi: What went on before?

It all started with a theory proposed in 1933 by Dutch anthropologist WOJ Nieuwenkamp, who said that the temple was built on a hill surrounded by a lake.

That then triggered the curiosity of a Dutch geologist, Reinout Willem van Bemmelen, who carried out more research on the history of the temple.

Concurring with Nieuwenkamp’s theory, in the early 1950s, van Bemmelen proposed that the eruption in 1006 resulted in the burial of Borobudur temple and the ancient Mataram-Hindu kingdom, forcing it to relocate to East Java.

But should Merapi be blamed for all this? Dr. Sri Mulyaningsih, a geologist who wrote a dissertation for her doctorate degree at Bandung Institute of Technology on the impact of Merapi eruptions on the old temples at Yogyakarta, agrees with Nieuwenkamp’s theory but refutes van Bemmelen’s.

Related Books:
Borobudur by L. Frederic and J. Nou
Borobudur Projekt by H. Prager
Some architectural design principles of temples in Java: A study through the buildings projection on the reliefs of Borobudur Temple by P. Atmadi
The Lost Temple of Java (History/Journey’s Into the Past) by P. Grabsky
The Restoration of Borobudur (World Heritage Series)