(This article first appeared online on 17th January 2024 on Live Mint and in print on 18th January in Mint newspaper India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/east-asia-food-places-gi-tag-111705460453578.html)
Showing posts with label INDONESIA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label INDONESIA. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Sunday, March 20, 2022
Tempted by Tempeh
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Temple of Bloom
The Temple of Borobudur, that lies in the shadow of
the mighty volcanic Mount Merapi, near the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, is a
fascinating place that Raul Dias simply
had to visit, especially now that Mumbai is connected to Indonesia by Garuda
Indonesia’s direct flight to Jakarta!
I’ve always prided myself on being an opportunist and
have never seen the word through the rather negative prism that the world often
sees it via. I love going all out and getting the right deal at the right time
and I’m not ashamed to unabashedly say so. And so, when I was told that Garuda
Indonesia Airlines was planning to launch its direct flight from Mumbai to
Jakarta in mid-December last year, I simply had to grab the opportunity and get
myself on its inaugural flight.
But there was also one more reason. Being a fan of all things archeological, with the fictional Indiana Jones being a sort of ‘Demi God’ to me, Indonesia’s mysterious Temple of Borobudur, near the city of Yogyakarta had always fascinated me like no other. Having visited the Temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia a few years ago, I was literally itching to pay obeisance to Borobudur, which is over 300 years older than the aforementioned Angkor!
But there was also one more reason. Being a fan of all things archeological, with the fictional Indiana Jones being a sort of ‘Demi God’ to me, Indonesia’s mysterious Temple of Borobudur, near the city of Yogyakarta had always fascinated me like no other. Having visited the Temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia a few years ago, I was literally itching to pay obeisance to Borobudur, which is over 300 years older than the aforementioned Angkor!
A
Misstart?
But the afternoon I chose to visit it was anything but fortuitous! To begin with, the minivan that was to take me to Borobudur from Yogyakarta had to be replaced at the last minute due to a faulty air con unit and its replacement took the good part of two hours to come pick me up, what with it being a Sunday and all. To add insult to injury, my camera had decided to die on me, just then. And so, that meant, that I had to now rely on a fellow traveller’s not-so-brilliant photography skills for the visual component of the visit. Just Perfect.
To cut a long story short, we finally made it to the temple complex gates as the sun reached its zenith in the mid-afternoon sky. Luckily for us, the weather Gods were playing nice that day and it was a pleasant 22˚C that afternoon—perfect for our planned 3-hour tour of one of the world’s most breathtaking sites I’ve ever visited in my life. Set as it is in the heart of the verdant Kedu Plain, the backdrop of mighty active volcano of Mount Merapi only enhances the sense of awe and drama.
But the afternoon I chose to visit it was anything but fortuitous! To begin with, the minivan that was to take me to Borobudur from Yogyakarta had to be replaced at the last minute due to a faulty air con unit and its replacement took the good part of two hours to come pick me up, what with it being a Sunday and all. To add insult to injury, my camera had decided to die on me, just then. And so, that meant, that I had to now rely on a fellow traveller’s not-so-brilliant photography skills for the visual component of the visit. Just Perfect.
To cut a long story short, we finally made it to the temple complex gates as the sun reached its zenith in the mid-afternoon sky. Luckily for us, the weather Gods were playing nice that day and it was a pleasant 22˚C that afternoon—perfect for our planned 3-hour tour of one of the world’s most breathtaking sites I’ve ever visited in my life. Set as it is in the heart of the verdant Kedu Plain, the backdrop of mighty active volcano of Mount Merapi only enhances the sense of awe and drama.
Back
in Time
Said to be built in the 8th century, at the peak of the Sailendra Dynasty in central Java, this UNESCO World Heritage Site has the distinction of being the single largest Buddhist structure anywhere on earth. The construction is thought to have taken a period of 75 years, and completed in around 825 CE. But soon after that, for reasons that are not clear, the site was abandoned and remained hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and thick jungle growth.
However, it was only in 1814, when on a tour to Semarang, did Thomas Stamford Raffles—the founder of Singapore and the then British Governor of Java—send a Dutch engineer to investigate a huge ‘lost’ monument deep in the jungles near Yogyakarta, that he had heard legends about. It took two months to clear the jungle and partially reveal the amazing monument, but it was not until 1885 that the complex was unearthed in its magnificent current entirety.
Said to be built in the 8th century, at the peak of the Sailendra Dynasty in central Java, this UNESCO World Heritage Site has the distinction of being the single largest Buddhist structure anywhere on earth. The construction is thought to have taken a period of 75 years, and completed in around 825 CE. But soon after that, for reasons that are not clear, the site was abandoned and remained hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and thick jungle growth.
However, it was only in 1814, when on a tour to Semarang, did Thomas Stamford Raffles—the founder of Singapore and the then British Governor of Java—send a Dutch engineer to investigate a huge ‘lost’ monument deep in the jungles near Yogyakarta, that he had heard legends about. It took two months to clear the jungle and partially reveal the amazing monument, but it was not until 1885 that the complex was unearthed in its magnificent current entirety.
The
Borobudur of Today
Opting for the services of a guide like Budi proved to be the best thing that afternoon as he very patiently took us through the magnificence of the temple step by step. Speaking of steps, to reach the very pinnacle of Borobudur, one needs to climb a few rather steep steps that are often simply missing in some places. The entire temple complex measures 123 square meters, and features more than 2,600 carved reliefs (of asuras, Gods, boddhisattvas, kinnaras, gandharvas and apsaras) and 504 Buddha statues. It is laid out in a pattern that combines the symbolic forms of the stupa (a Buddhist commemorative mound usually containing holy relics), the temple mountain (based on Mount Meru of Hindu mythology), and the mandala (a mystic Buddhist symbol of the universe, combining the square as earth and the circle as heaven).
The bell like latticed stupas each ensconce a statue of a sitting Buddha. And Budi let us now that each of the 504 statues has a different mudra (posture) and expression. A few of the statues were headless, that Budi said were the result of an earthquake hundreds of years ago, and that till today, a few heads are found every now and then as far as 4km from the complex.
Set today in a well-maintained, manicured park with stunning flowers blooming everywhere, with almost zero perky souvenir sellers to distract you, Borobudur truly is like the Temple of Bloom! But this wasn’t the case in 2010, when between November 3 and 5, the eruption of Mount Merapi caused a layer of ash up to 2.5 cm thick to fall onto the temple complex, killing all the vegetation and plants next to it.
But that late evening, as the sun started its usual, almost reluctant descent into the horizon, a dappled, ethereal light was cast on Borobudur, making it glow as though alive. A truly magical glow that needs to be seen and experienced by everyone… opportunist or not!
Opting for the services of a guide like Budi proved to be the best thing that afternoon as he very patiently took us through the magnificence of the temple step by step. Speaking of steps, to reach the very pinnacle of Borobudur, one needs to climb a few rather steep steps that are often simply missing in some places. The entire temple complex measures 123 square meters, and features more than 2,600 carved reliefs (of asuras, Gods, boddhisattvas, kinnaras, gandharvas and apsaras) and 504 Buddha statues. It is laid out in a pattern that combines the symbolic forms of the stupa (a Buddhist commemorative mound usually containing holy relics), the temple mountain (based on Mount Meru of Hindu mythology), and the mandala (a mystic Buddhist symbol of the universe, combining the square as earth and the circle as heaven).
The bell like latticed stupas each ensconce a statue of a sitting Buddha. And Budi let us now that each of the 504 statues has a different mudra (posture) and expression. A few of the statues were headless, that Budi said were the result of an earthquake hundreds of years ago, and that till today, a few heads are found every now and then as far as 4km from the complex.
Set today in a well-maintained, manicured park with stunning flowers blooming everywhere, with almost zero perky souvenir sellers to distract you, Borobudur truly is like the Temple of Bloom! But this wasn’t the case in 2010, when between November 3 and 5, the eruption of Mount Merapi caused a layer of ash up to 2.5 cm thick to fall onto the temple complex, killing all the vegetation and plants next to it.
But that late evening, as the sun started its usual, almost reluctant descent into the horizon, a dappled, ethereal light was cast on Borobudur, making it glow as though alive. A truly magical glow that needs to be seen and experienced by everyone… opportunist or not!
Yogya… when you’re done!
Though most travellers think of Yogya (as the locals call Yogyakarta) in central Java as merely a jumping off point to visit mighty Borobudur, it is a fascinating city on its own with a lot of things to see and do. Here are a few of my top experiences in Yogyakarta:
* Visit the beautiful Hindu Prambanan Temple built during the 9th century for the Trimurti of the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva).
* Shop for traditional Indonesian batik and more at Jalan Malioboro and Pasar Beringharjo as Yogya is a shopping haven.
* Savour the exotic taste of gudeg, which is the most famous dish in Yogya. This is a stew made from young jackfruit with palm sugar, coconut milk, meat, garlic, and spices.
* Tour the Kraton Yogyakarta, which is a well-maintained palace from the days of the Sultans of Yogyakarta, where you will find unique architecture and heirlooms of the days of glory.
Though most travellers think of Yogya (as the locals call Yogyakarta) in central Java as merely a jumping off point to visit mighty Borobudur, it is a fascinating city on its own with a lot of things to see and do. Here are a few of my top experiences in Yogyakarta:
* Visit the beautiful Hindu Prambanan Temple built during the 9th century for the Trimurti of the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva).
* Shop for traditional Indonesian batik and more at Jalan Malioboro and Pasar Beringharjo as Yogya is a shopping haven.
* Savour the exotic taste of gudeg, which is the most famous dish in Yogya. This is a stew made from young jackfruit with palm sugar, coconut milk, meat, garlic, and spices.
* Tour the Kraton Yogyakarta, which is a well-maintained palace from the days of the Sultans of Yogyakarta, where you will find unique architecture and heirlooms of the days of glory.
FACT
FILE
Getting There
Since December 12, 2016 Garuda Indonesia has started a thrice weekly (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) direct flights between Mumbai and Jakarta. From Jakarta, Garuda has a number of daily flights to Yogyakarta. The Borobudur Temple is a short one hour, 15-minute ride from Yogyakarta by car or bus. Indian passport holders get a free visa on arrival at all major Indonesian international airports, including Jakarta and Yogyakarta.
Getting There
Since December 12, 2016 Garuda Indonesia has started a thrice weekly (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) direct flights between Mumbai and Jakarta. From Jakarta, Garuda has a number of daily flights to Yogyakarta. The Borobudur Temple is a short one hour, 15-minute ride from Yogyakarta by car or bus. Indian passport holders get a free visa on arrival at all major Indonesian international airports, including Jakarta and Yogyakarta.
When
To Visit
The best times to visit Borobudur is during the months from November to March which are particularly pleasant and with a relatively cool nip in the air in the mornings and evenings with comfortably warm afternoons.
The best times to visit Borobudur is during the months from November to March which are particularly pleasant and with a relatively cool nip in the air in the mornings and evenings with comfortably warm afternoons.
There are an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes in and around the Borobudur Temple complex. Some of the best value-for-money options are:
* Manohara Resort (www.manoharaborobudur.com)
* Villa Borobudur (www.villaborobudur.com)
(A shorter, edited version of this article appeared in the 13th January 2017 issue of the Afternoon Despatch & Courier newspaper, India http://afternoondc.in/mumbai-mix/temple-of-bloom/article_185771)
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