Borobudur, also translated as Barabudur, is a 9th century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Maglang District, near Maglang City and Muntilan City, Central Java, Indonesia..

Made from gray stone similar to andesite, the temple is comprised of nine tiers piled on top of each other - six square and three circular - with a central dome on the top. It features 2,672 relief panels and initially had 504 Buddha statues. The central dome of the monument is encircled by 72 statues of Buddha, each of them seated within a perforated stupa. The structure leads pilgrims through a complex network of stairways and corridors, featuring 1,460 relief panels on the walls and balustrades. Borobudur boasts one of the most extensive sets of Buddhist reliefs in the world.

Constructed under the rule of the Sailendra Dynasty, the temple incorporates Javanese Buddhist style, merging Indonesian ancestor worship with the Buddhist goal of achieving nirvāṇa. The structure serves as a sacred site for Buddhist worship and pilgrimage. It is believed that Borobudur was built in the 8th century and left deserted after the Hindu kingdoms in Java declined in the 14th century and the Javanese people embraced Islam.

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, British ruler of Java in 1814, was informed of Borobudur's location by local Indonesians, leading to global awareness. The temple has been maintained through various restoration efforts. In 1983, the Indonesian government and UNESCO completed the biggest restoration project, leading to the monument being designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Borobudur, along with Bagan in Myanmar and Angkor Wat in Cambodia, is considered one of the top archeological sites in Southeast Asia and is also the biggest Buddhist temple globally. The monument of Borobudur is still a favored destination for Buddhists in Indonesia who celebrate Vesak Day with pilgrimage. Borobudur is the most popular monument among Indonesia's tourist attractions.
 

Borobudur is situated around 40 kilometers northwest of Yogyakarta and about 86 kilometers to the west of Surakarta, in a highland region nestled between two pairs of volcanoes - Sundoro-Sumbing and Merbabu-Merapi - and two rivers, the Progo and the Elo. In local legend, the Kedu Plain is believed to be a sacred area by the Javanese people and is referred to as "the garden of Java" because of its excellent agricultural productivity.

In the early 20th century restoration, Theodoor van Erp found that three Buddhist temples in the area, Borobudur, Pawon, and Mendut, are aligned in a straight line. There likely was a ceremonial connection between the three temples, even though the specific ceremonial steps remain a mystery.

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