Filed under: Travel
Oh, it was real hard to steal a break out of routine lately. A hectic schedule had accidentally injected a mindset that it’s better to invest my time on bed rather than blogging out here. But I finally found a sneak in, thanks God!
Hey, I know this is absolutely an out of date story. Shame of me! But I think you chould check it out! Especially after the New Seven Wonders was announced on the 07.07.07 at 07.07am in LIsbon, Portugal. Borobudur is now a totally forgotten wonder of the world.
Wayfering Borobudur
Once, I told myself dat one of my dreams, was to pay a visit to a BUddhist’s heritage on a Vesak month. Either it’s Borobudur, or Bnagkok, or possibly India. Best, if I could wayfaring on a pilgrimage. Seriously a journey with NO DUTY on my head. Purely just a journey with my soul. What I mean here, is totally on my own (not a family trip, not with bf, or bunch of girl friends).
30 May to 2 June, here was the magical moments. Finally able to get myself to Borobudur, but ON DUTY, and with a colleague. Well, not bad, not bad at all. At least we got to stay at the Grand Hyatt Regency. Really really really a nice and comfy stay. I felt like a rich. Thanks to last minute booking. Dunt know from where the crowd broke in, but Yogyakarta was fully booked at dat time. So, we got to stay at this 5-stars hotel instead.
Maybe the Vesak celebration’s one of the reason. It has been commercialized to stimulate tourism by the government this year. There’s a massive procession from Candi Mendut. (thru Candi Pawon) to Candi Borobudur followed by thousands fellowship from different cities and countries around South East Asia. There’s also a collaboration perfoming art, Imaging Buddha, from 8 countries around South East Asia region.
I did my job, experiencing the beauty of Borobudur, talk to the locals, talk to the tourists, tour guide, then the people from the government, the people in charge for preservaton of the site, the committee, the choreographer and dancers of Imaging Buddha, taxi drivers, some Buddhist activists that cons the commercialization of this scared site. Different points of view, some were extremely a clash, but all lead to the same conclusion, the proud of having this world’s heritage on the land of Indonesia.
The government has announced the Declaration of Borobudur last year and plan to link Borobudur as the sister temple with Ayutthaya, a century younger- site in Thailand. They’re doing a campaign called ‘Trail of Civilization’.
Maybe worry about the New Seven Wonders issue… Borobudur has been eliminated from the list by polling. Ow, such a heartache! For decades, we’ve been told since primary school that Borobudur was listed in the Seven Wonders. But what on earth, I couldn’t find any source in the World Wide Web stating that she’s in the list! Then why was it written so in our history textbook? Huh?
(Look at the detail in the crafted walls, so amazing… How could people of Mataram in the 9th century sketch it on the stone wall was still a mistery. Borobudur is the largest Ti-pitaka in the world I think…)
Maybe just forget the idea of Seven Wonders! LIke what a tourist told me during the interview, "the world has more ways than just seven wonders." That’s so true! Look at the hundreds candidates from all over the countries. So amazing how science and technology could be applied in the olden days. For me, the predicate of World’s Heritage given by the UNESCO is more than enough.
However, the local as been worried about the lesser tourists visiting the site, caused by the bombing and earthquakes issues. I can tell that they’re so poor. If u were there, My God! You’d get hypertension for them kept bugging u for at least 15 mins, just to get you buy a bottle of mineral water. Can’t blame. They live a very simple life and depend on tourism for living. Yet, you and I know how the tourism climate in my country.
Thou,this was om duty trip, but still, Borobudur was marvelous. Even till now I could still remember how beautiful and stunning she was. Especially at night, when the light was on (not an often they got the lighting on, cos it’s damn expensive for maintanance). Like a bonus for me, she’s even mor gorgeous on the night Siddharta got enligtened.
(Candle procession/pradaksina around the Borobudur on Vesak day)
(Lantern of world peace, fly and fly away to the sky… reach to every heart and spread the unconditional love)
It was so hot on that day. Look at the monk’s face!
There’re nearly 100 photographers capturing the moments of procession. And me and my tiny body had to squeze here and there to get the composition I wanted.
We’re out there from early morning till 12am in the midnite, and I hardly dragged my legs to move along like a dead body. So so tired! Especially when you didnt bath, and bringing along a ransel and a 10 kg camera, and climbing the never-ending stairs.
and this are
some shots from Imaging Buddha.
Well…well…welll…. couldnt go on furthermore. Need to rest. If you’re interested to read my reportage, click at this link borobudur, the forgotten wonders?
Borobudur rocks!
*YeHa - on a raw pilgrimmage
