Jigsaw Puzzle of and Fun Facts about the Borobudur Temple in Indonesia

 

Disclosure: I was sent this puzzle in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have been very lucky to be able to get products to review from Tuttle Publishing. Since their company focuses on Eastern countries I always find their products perfect for sharing in May (though I share them all year long). Besides books they have other products including jigsaw puzzles. I thought it would be fun to share some of the puzzles I have from Tuttle this month. I have shared others previously. Plus since the puzzle is of the Borobudur Temple, I thought I would share some fun facts about the temple.

Borobudur Temple by Gunawan Kartapranata, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fun Facts about Borobudur Temple

1. It is located in the Kedu Valley, in the southern part of Central Java at the center of the island of Java, Indonesia.
2. Built in the 8th and 9th century during the reign of the Syailendra Dynasty, which ruled Java for around five centuries until the 10th century. It was built by King Samaratungga, one of the kings of Ancient Mataram Kingdom.
3. An Indonesian named Hudaya Kandahjaya revealed Borobudur as a place of worship according to the Kayumwungan inscription. It was completed on May 26, 824. Almost 100 years after the beginning of construction.
4. It consists of two million blocks of lava rocks. It is 115 ft at its highest point. It has nearly 1,500 carved story panels and 504 statues of Buddha.
5. It was abandoned (believed to be in the 14th century) and rediscovered in 1814 by Thomas Stamford Raffles, the British governor of Java. UNESCO restored it in the 1970s and has designated it as a World Heritage Site.
6. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
7. It consists of three temples. The main one, the Borobudur Temple, is the largest Buddhist Temple in the world. The other two temples are Mendut Temple and Pawon Temple. The three temples represent the phases in the attainment of Nirvana.
8. The Mendut Temple is a Buddhist sacred place beside the Borobudur Temple. It is 4 km from the Buddhism monastery. It has a pyramid shaped roof.

   

   Mendut Temple by Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas

   
   
9. The Pawon Temple is on the Brojonalan District. It was used as a place to keep weapons of King Indera Vajranala. Its architecture is combination of both ancient Javanese Hindu and Indian architecture.

   

   Pawon Temple by Wibowo Djatmiko (Wie146), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

   
   
10. The Borobudur Temple is built in three tiers. The base of the temple is a pyramid formed by five concentric square terraces. This is followed by the trunk of a cone with three platforms. On the very top is a monumental stupa (a mound-like structure containing the Buddhist relics). The three tiers represent the concept of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. It is believed the universe is divided into three superimposing spheres, kamadhatu, rupadhatu, and arupadhatu, representing the sphere of desires, the sphere of form, and the sphere of formlessness. These also can be defined as the stages of life.
11. The walls and balustrades of Borobudur are decorated with fine low reliefs depicting various Buddhist scenes.

    

    Relief Artwork from Borobudur Temple by Leiden University Libraries Digital Collections, CC BY 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    
    
12. Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas each containing a statue of Buddha.



Borobudur Temple by Giovanni Boccardi, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources:

• Authentic Indonesia. “The Temple of Borobudur.” https://authentic-indonesia.com/activities/the-temple-of-borobudur/
• Indonesia Fascination. “Borobudur Temple, One of the Seven Wonders of the World.” (Oct 2012) http://indonesia-fascination.blogspot.com/2012/10/borobudur-temple-one-of-seven-wonder-of.html
• UNESCO. “Borobudur Temple Compounds.” https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/592/

The Borobudur Temple 1,000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle has a beautiful photo of the temple as well as a mountain in the background. I decided to work on the puzzle by color. I of course started with the border pieces but while I separated them out I separated the rest by color: blue, green and brown. My friend saw it and thought the sky would be impossible. However I have been hung up with the actual temple. Here is how far I got after a couple of days working on it.

I have been working on the building and it is coming slowly. 

Normally I don't share them until I finish the puzzle, but I wanted to get it shared today and share about the amazing temple. Now I have to go work on my puzzle!! Have a great day!

Update: I finally had time to finish the puzzle! The buildings took awhile but it was a fun and challenging puzzle.