Sheraton Surabaya Hotels

LOCATION Sheraton Surabaya Hotel and Towers is an integral part of the magnificent Tunjungan Plaza developments located in the heart of Surabaya's Central Business District. Combined, the Plazas feature 500 retail outlets, numerous restaurants and night clubs, an ice skating rink, an amusement park, cinemas and a convention centre seating up to 2000. Set one block from the adjacent main roads, Sheraton Surabaya Hotel commands excellent views of the surrounding business districts, enjoying access to an array of facilities unrivalled in Indonesia. TRANSPORTATION Surabaya is serviced by several taxi companies, and the Hotel offers a limousine service on request. Hire cars are also available. An airport shuttle-bus services Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, a 30 minute drive from the Hotel.

ACCOMMODATION

Total no. of rooms - 306 Total no. of apartments - 54 HOTEL TOWERS APT Deluxe Room Hotel 218 38 Executive Suite 9 14 Room for Disabled 3 Non-smoking floor 24 54

ROOM FACILITIES

All rooms feature individually controlled air conditioning, satellite television including HBO, CNN, ABN and ESPN, two IDD telephone lines, three telephones, voice mail, minibar, electronic safe, superbly presented bath room amenities and the convenience of in-room coffee and tea making facilities. Towers guests will also enjoy the privilege of a 24 hours butler service, fax machine, 25" television, access to the exclusive Towers Lounge and Meeting Room and private check in and check out on the 25th floor.

NEW SHERATON RESIDENCE

The Sheraton Residence Surabaya consist of 54 luxuriously appointed apartment located from level 7 to 12. Perfectly suited to long term stays, each apartment is ultra safe, secure and has all the comforts of home. In addition to our superb standard of room facilities, these ultra-modern apartment come complete with fully equipped kitchen, ample storage space and daily Housekeeping service.

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

It offers a superb a la carte menu as well as sumptuous buffets, themed with local and international flavours. Open seven days from 6.30am to 11.00pm. Seating capacity - 140 LUNG YUAN Chinese restaurant open daily for lunch between 11.30am and 2.30pm, (Sunday and Public Holidays between 9.00pm and 2.30pm), and dinner from 6.00pm to 10.30pm Seating capacity - 130 Private dining capacity - 90 LA PATISSERIE Pastry delicatessen shop Open daily from 10.00am to midnight. Seating capacity - 90 BONGO'S FUN PUB AND RESTAURANT. Bongo's Fun Pub snd Restaurant is open from 5.00pm to 2.00am weekdays and until 3.00am weekends. Seating capacity - 120 KEN DEDES POOL BAR Pool Bar daily from 6.00am to 6.00pm

OTHERS HOTEL FACILITIES

FITNESS CENTRE This fully equipped health and fitness centre is located on the Mezzanine Level overlooking the swimming pool. Open from 6.00am to 10.00pm. TENNIS COURT On the 7th level, providing two flood lit tennis courts, racquet and tennis ball rental, ball boy and an 800 metre jogging track. Also on the 7th level, you will find the spa and beauty centre. BUSINESS CENTRE Located on the Mezzanine Level, the Business Centre offers a courier and mailing service, flight reservation and re-confirmation, typing and document translation, fax and photocopy service including transparancies, office rental and bookings for the board room. There are also personal computer available for guest use which include Japanese type facilities. Open 7.00am to 10.00pm Monday to Friday and 8.00am to 8.00pm Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. SHOPS Located in the lobby area, providing a range of newspaper, books and drug store items. Plus a flower shop.

CONFERENCE / MEETING & BANQUET FACILITIES

All conference rooms have fuul audio visual and pover socket throughout. The Terrace features a semi-circular glassed-in area overlooking the pool, with access doors to the pool and direct access into the ballroom. The ballroom has full state of-the-art audio visual equipment, Including ceiling-mounted barco projector to 6m x 5m screen with build-in roller, multiple power and sound outlets throghout the room, three audio visual projection booths at ceiling height and two full time audio visual technicians. THEME PARTIES Incentives, meetings and conferences should be unigue experiences, and participants should feel strongly acknowledged as achievers, as stars in their own right. We add the special touch of creativity that can make every arrival an entrance, every coffee break an event, every meal a feast. Let your imagination run wild. We expect to be asked to do the impossible, in 5 star style, at short notice, on a budget...with a smile and a creative idea or two to offer. INCENTIVE OFFERINGS Incentive Travellers are greeted with a refreshing exotic tropical fruit punch and a cold towel. Private registration, deluxe airport transfers, special room amenities and gifts are all available for these high performers. Full American, Continental, Indonesian or health breakfasts can be enjoyed in Kafe Bromo, Poolside, or in the privacy of your room. Lunches and Dinners can be buffet or a la carte, Chinese, Asian, or International, inside or outside, in a small room or the Ballroom- fantastic flavours in stunning settings.

Article : http://www.eastjava.com/hotel/sheraton/

JAKARTA - BATAVIA

Photo: Monas Jakarta

Jakarta - Indonesia's bustling capital, and home to over 8 million people (although estimates do vary greatly) - dates back to the fifth century AD. The first confirmed record of inhabitants in the area comes from a Tugu inscription which refers to a community of the Tarumanegara kingdom living along the coast near what later become known as Sunda Kelapa. The city was officially founded in 1527, when the harbour town of Sunda Kelapa was renamed Jayakarta (meaning great victory) by the conquering prince Fatahillah but this was later changed to Batavia before becoming Jakarta.

For tourist, Jakarta offers a treasure trove of attractions, shopping, museums, golf, fine dining and nightlife that have made it one of Southeast Asia's best-kept secrets. An economic boom in the mid-nineties led to the construction of dozens of first-class hotels, some of which are rated as the best in the region - good news for business travelers to the capital who can have their pick of Jakarta's 20,000 hotel rooms at cut-price rates.

Another highlight of any trip to Jakarta is the food. The city offers a fantastic range of restaurants with every type of cuisine from Brazilian to Turkish to Korean, and everything in between.

The accompanying map and listing is not meant as a definitive guide to the city. Hopefully it will give unfamiliar visitors an overview of some of the delights on offer. If in doubt, consult the concierge or front desk at your hotel.

Article : http://indo-spot.blogspot.com/2007/12/jakarta.html

Ullen Sentalu Museum, Yogyakarta – Central Java

One man's homage to Javanese culture, the Ullen Sentalu Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the women of the royal courts.

In the village of Kaliurang, on the slopes of Mount Merapi, is Ullen Sentalu Museum, arguably the most fascinating museum in the Yogyakarta area. Built about seven years ago, the museum of Javanese art and culture is exceptionally well presented, interesting and informative.

Ullen Sentalu Museum with beautiful design

In the higher altitude location of Kaliurang, 26 kilometers from Yogyakarta, the air is cool and fresh. The buildings of the complex are architecturally designed and built from local stone, sheltered by trees and featuring walkways over water, large courtyard spaces and gardens. You will be escorted around the complex by an English-speaking guide, after first being welcomed with a cup of delicious spicy tea made to the special recipe invented by the wife of a past sultan of Surakarta.

The Ullen Sentalu Museum is privately owned by Thomas Haryonagoro, a retired businessman, who expressed his immense love and appreciation of his own culture by investing his savings in this homage to the traditions of Java and now is managed by Ulating Blencong Foundation. It is a ‘labor of love’ – not making a profit, but not necessarily intended to. He wants to give something back to Java, the land of his birth, the homeland he loves. Thomas also has hopes that he can interest schools in bringing students tot hemuseum to study and learn about he richness of Javanese culture.

A newer addition is the Art Deco style Beukenhof Restaurant. As you climb the strais and enter this quiet and classy space, the atmosphere of times gone by washes over you, transporting you back to an era when life was time to sense and savor it.

A particularly unusual and endearing feature of the museum is the special attention paid to the wives of the sultans and other notable women of Java. At the Yogyakarta Kraton and other museums, the sultans get all the attention and women are all but ignored. Special permission had to be acquired from the Yogyakarta court to give this equal focus to the women of the royal courts, and was granted because Kaliurang was deemed to be far enough outside Yogyarakta that this breach of usual tradition could be permitted.

Some of the consorts of past sultans of Surakarta and Yogyakarta have been beautiful, intelligent, well educated and accomplished women in their won right, whose presence was much sought after in high society circles in Europe. Visiting Ullen Sentalu may well be the only time you ever hear of them today.

In the museum, you can see historical photographs of the palace as well as other interesting images of people and events during the colonial era. There are various artifacts, and many oil paintings, including painted portraits of various sultans and also their wives. Carefully displayed in glass cabinets are the actual items of clothing being worn in the portraits.

There is also a batik museum where you can compare examples of the batik style of Yogyakarta and Surajarta, and also batiks exhibiting Chinese influence from the northern coastal towns of java. For the serious student of traditional textiles, this museum is a must. The final part of the escorted tour takes you to a room where the traditional Javanese wedding garb is displayed and explained. Every item has a meaning and it is beautiful to delve into these old traditions.

All the exhibits are fascinating and the visitor is rewarded with a deeper appreciation of the depth and refinement of Javanese culture, which is sometimes hard to find amongst the razzamatazz of Sosro, Malioboro and Prawirotaman.

It is well worth the trip to Kaliurang, if only to visit Ullen Sentalu, but there are many other things there to enjoy. You can walk around the nearby tourist village of Sambi, or you can check into one of the many small hotels and stay the night at Gunung Merapi. And the energetic tourist can climb Merapi with a guide.

Ullen Sentalu Museum is situated at Taman Kaswargan, Jl. Boyong, with a signpost on the main road where you must turn off the left approaching the village of Kaliurang.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9am-4pm (closed on Monday)
Telp: 0274-895161

Article : http://indo-spot.blogspot.com/2008/04/ullen-sentalu-museum-yogyakarta-central.html

Sangiran Museum: Sragen, Central Java

A student group entered Sangiran Museum in Sragen, Central Java, and enthusiastically looked at the various fossils on display, which date back from hundreds of thousands to millions of years ago. All of the fossils are kept in 15 vitrines at the museum, which is also called the Conservation Center of Early Man Site.

There are mollusk fossils, fossils of water creatures like fish, turtles, crabs and crocodiles, as well as hippopotamus fossils. Other collections include fossils of stone tools and fossils of mammals like buffaloes, ancient elephants, deer, tigers, pigs and rhinoceros, and of course the Pithecanthropus erectus VIII fossil, which is the most complete hominid skull fossil ever found in the country.

Complete information about the fossils is attached on each vitrine.

“Human beings can create tools to ease their work, while animals can just use tools,” archeologist and guide Anjarwati Sri said.

In another part of the museum there is a diorama describing the life of pre-historic people who lived in caves. “They were our ancestors,” said Manik, one of the students from the University of Yogyakarta.

The visitors then went to the watch tower, from where they could view the Sangiran dome or Sangiran site underneath.
Sangiran is well-known all over the world. In that place, various ancient fossils were found, including those of ancient human beings, water, sea and land animals and plants.

Sangiran comprises two hamlets located on the border of Sragen and Karanganyar regencies. The hamlets are divided by the Cemoro River.

Many fossils have been found in the 56-square-kilometer Sangiran site, which is unique and is considered the oldest human settlement in the world, dating back a million years ago. With half of the findings comprising ancient Homo erectus fossils, Sangiran attracts experts from all over the world for research and study about the evolution of prehistoric human beings.

Sangiran began to draw scientists’ attention in 1893 when Eugene Dubois explored the area in search of the fossils of early humans. It seemed, however, that he was not that serious. Dubois found the fossils of skulls and thighs of ancient men in Trinil, Ngawi, East Java, instead. They were called Pithecanthropus erectus, which means monkeys that walked upright.

It was not until 1930 that JC van Es studied Sangiran took the exploration more seriously. His activities were continued by GHR von Koenigswald. In 1934 Koenigswald found about 1,000 tools made by people who lived in Sangiran. The tools could be used to cut, spruce spear heads and trim objects. In archeology, they are called flake tools, while Koenigswald called them the products of the “Sangiran flake industry”.

In 1936, Koenigswald found fossils of the jaws of bigger ancient men called Meganthropus paleojavanicus. The following year he found the skulls of Pithecanthropus erectus, which Dubois had been unable to find.

The findings drew both foreign and local scientists to Sangiran. Among the foreigners were Helmut de Terra, Movius, P. Marks, HR van Heekeren, Gert Jan Bartstra, RW van Bemmelen, Anne Marie Semah, Francois Semah and M Itihara. From Indonesia, there were RP Soejono, Teuku Yacob (the former rector of the University of Gadjah Mada who died recently), S. Sartono and Hari Widianto.

Several research institutes — both from inside and outside the country — also became interested in studying the site including the American Museum of National History; the Biologisch Archeolosgisch Instituut Groningen, Netherlands; Tokyo University; National d’Historie Naturelle Paris; the Center for Research and Development of Geology, Bandung; National Research Center for Archeology and the Archeology Center of Yogyakarta.

In his efforts to find the fossils, Koenigswald had enlisted the help of the chief of Krikilan village, Toto Marsono, who later deployed the villagers. They found a lot of fossils of bones and kept them in the village hall, which later became the Sangiran Museum, located in Kalijambe district.

When Koenigswald stopped his research, the villagers continued digging out the earth and got more fossils.

In 1974, the Central Java government established the Sangiran Museum in Krikilan village. Nine years later a bigger museum was built by the central government and since then more facilities have also been developed.

To protect the Sangiran site, the government in 1977 declared it a cultural conservation site. It covers part of Kalijambe district, Plupuh district and Gemolong district in Sragen regency and part of Gondangrejo district in Karanganyar regency. In 1996, UNESCO put Sangiran in the 593rd position on the World Heritage List under the name of Sangiran Early Man Site.

Anjarwati, who graduated from the University of Gadjah Mada, said that geomorphologically Sangiran was a mountainous area with a dome structure in the middle.

The dome structure had been through a “deformation process”, with breaks, landslides and erosion transforming it into a valley. As a result, all layers of the ancient land with all items and remains of the life on it were revealed.

There were four stratigraphic formations: the Kalibeng Formation, which was the oldest earth layer in Sangiran at about three million to 1.8 million years old. The 107-meter thick land was the sedimentation of the ocean bed where many mollusk, turritela and foraminifera fossils were found.

The younger formation was the Pucangan Formation, which dated back from 1.8 million to 800,000 years ago and was 100 meters thick. In this formation many fossils of vertebrata like elephants (Stegodon trigonocephalus), bulls (Bibos palaeosondaicus), buffaloes (Bubalus palaeokarabau), deer (Cervus sp) and hippopotamus were found. Fossils of pre-historic men were also found in the highest part.

The third formation was the Kabuh Formation, which dated back from between 800,000 to 250,000 years ago and was between 0.1 and 46.3 meters thick. Many hominid and mammalian fossils were found in the lower layer but none of the fossils of pre-historic men were found in the upper layer.

The last formation was the Notopuro Formation that contained gravel, sand, silt and mud. Volcanic mudflow and fossils were rarely found here.

The latest finding in Sangiran was in April when villagers found fossils of the skull of pre-historic elephant of Stegodon trigonocephalus in Dayu hamlet, Dayu village, Gondarangrejo district, Karanganyar regency.

Early examination showed that the elephant lived between 800,000 and 700,000 years ago. The fossil was 1.02 meters high, 46 cm wide and 69 cm high.

Until today 960 fossils of ancient elephants have been found. The one that was found in April was registered as finding number 13,813 among the collection of the Conservation Center of Pre-historic Men of Sangiran.

Sangiran now has guesthouses that were built by the Sragen administration for researchers who want to stay there for a long time and also for tourists who wish to see the site and enjoy the rural view.

Article : http://www.planetmole.org/indonesian-news/sangiran-museum-sragen-central-java.html

Gedong Songo Temple Complex: Central Java

Central Java is rich with the cultural heritage of Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic historical eras.

The famous Buddhist temples — or candi — of Borobudur, Mendut and Pawon, and the Hindu temple Prambanan are a few of the numerous cultural influences that spread through the province.

Aside from these famed temples are other, lesser-known temples such as Sewu, Kraton Boko, Sambi Sari, Sari, Kalasan and Plaosan.

Some of these temples are located on a mountain slope or on a plateau: the Dieng temples on Dieng Plateau, the Sukuh and Cetho temples on Mount Lawu, and the Gedong Sanga temples on Mt. Ungaran.

If you are both a culture and nature lover, then the Gedong Sanga temples might be an ideal choice for an outing.

The Candi Gedong Sanga complex is located at Candi village of Ambarawa district in Semarang regency, 25 kilometers from Ungaran or 45 km from Semarang, the provincial capital.

The complex is easily accessible from either Yogyakarta (about 2 hours by car, or 3 hours by bus) or Semarang. The roads are paved and smooth — except for the one linking Ambarawa to the complex, which is steep and rather narrow.

Near the complex is a traditional market, Pasar Bandungan, and on market days the street might become congested, so drivers must be alert — from Pasar Bandungan, it is still 4 km to the temples.

The Gedong Sanga temple complex, discovered by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1804, was built during the 9th-century Syailendra Dynasty. The temples are situated at about 1,200 meters above sea level and are scattered within a pine forest.

The local temperature ranges between 19-27 degrees Centigrade. A number of sulfur springs exist inside the complex, where simple bathing facilities are available — at a small fee — for those wanting to bathe or wade in the hot water. It is said the sulfur hot springs can cure minor dermatological ailments.

Facing south from the slope of Mt. Ungaran are Rawa Pening Lake, Mt. Merbabu and Mt. Merapi, while to the west are Mt. Sumbing and Mt. Sindoro.

A complete trip through the complex is roughly a 2-km hike. The journey, which ascends and descends through groves of pine trees, ravines and sulfur springs, surely requires a good deal of energy.

Luckily, horses are available for rent at the entrance to the complex. Be sure to get a fair price: approximately Rp 50,000 per horse. When the deal is made, just climb on to the horse and enjoy the panorama while its owner guides the way, rein in hand. Visitors may dismount during the trip to observe the temples at their leisure.

A variety of accommodation are available along the ascending road to the temple complex, at some 3 km from the temples.

Among them are the Amanda, Gaya and Rawa Pening hotels, whose rates range from Rp 200,000 for a single to Rp 900,000 for a three-bedroom villa. The rates may increase 30 percent over weekends and public holidays.

The Candi Gedong Sanga complex consists of five clusters of temples, simply called Temples I, II, III, IV and V.
Temple I, at 1,260 meters above sea level, only has one complete temple left. Temple II, some 300 meters away from Temple I, has one complete temple, named Temple IIA; the other, Temple IIB, is in ruins.

Temple III, at 1,298 meters above sea level and about 100 meters from Temple II, consists of three complete temples. Temple IV is slightly higher at 1,300 meters and 200 meters across a ravine from Temple III, consists of two sub-clusters.
The northern sub-cluster comprises four structures, the southern, nine structures — only one of these are whole.
Temple V, located still higher at 1,310 meters and 507 meters from Temple I, consists of two sub-clusters. The first sub-cluster holds three temples in a row, with the middle one intact; the other sub-cluster comprises three ruins.

Legend has it that Queen Simha of the Kalingga Kingdom was in power when the Gedong Sanga complex was built. She was known for her fair and respectable reign.

The Queen taught her people to worship Sang Hyang Widi, the Powerful God, and in order to accomplish this, she ordered that a temple devoted to Sang Hyang Widi be built.

According to the belief, human beings must be able to control their desires to live a peaceful life. The desires were said to come from the nine orifices of the body, called Babahan Hawa Sanga in Javanese. The erection of the Candi Gedong Sanga could be thus considered a symbol of controlling these origins of desire.

Article : http://www.planetmole.org/indonesian-news/gedong-songo-temple-complex-central-java.html

Mount Agung and Besakih Temple, Bali

The volcanic Mount Agung (Gunung Agung) is the most sacred mountain in Bali. It is home to the important Mother Temple of Besakih, the largest and holiest temple in Bali.

History

An active volcano, it last erupted in March 1963. The lava flows narrowly missed the Mother Temple of Besakih on the mountain's slopes, which the Balinese regarded as a miraculous sign from the gods.

Built before 1000 AD, Besakih Temple was originally a terraced temple dedicated to the dragon god Besakih who is believed to inhabit the sacred mountain.

In the 15th century, Besakih became the state temple of the Geigel-Kiungkung dynasty, whose rulers built several small temples to honor their deified kin. It remains a state temple today, run and funded by the provincial and national governments.

What to See

The great Mount Agung rises to an altitude of 3,148 meters (10,308 feet) in eastern Bali. Perched on its slopes about 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) in altitude is the holy Besakih Temple, Mother Temple of Bali.

Besakih is said to be the only temple where a Hindu of any caste can worship. Surrounding three main temples dedicated to Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu are 18 separate sanctuaries belonging to different regencies and caste groups.

Stairs ascend through a monumental split gate to the courtyard of the main temple, Pura Panataran Agung, where the central shrine dedicated to the Hindu trinity of Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu is wrapped in cloth and decorated with flower offerings.

Two other important temples further up the slope join with the Pura Panataran Agung to symbolize the Hindu trinity: the Pura Panataran Agung in the center flies white banners for Shiva, Pura Kiduling Kreteg to the right flies red banners for Brahma; and Pura Batu Mddeg, on the left, has black banners for Vishnu.

There are many other temples to explore at Besakih, but many of their inner courtyards are reserved for worship and closed to visitors.

Quick Facts

Names:	Gunung Agung (Mount Agung); Pura Besakih (Besakih Temple)
Type of site:	Hindu temple; sacred mountain
Faith:	Balinese Hinduism
Status:	Active
Dates:	c.1000 AD
Location:	Eastern Bali, Indonesia
Tip:	If not traveling as part of a tour, try to arrive at the temple before 9am, when the tourist buses begin to arrive.

Article : http://www.sacred-destinations.com/indonesia/bali-mt-agung.htm

Borobudur Temple, Java

Borobudur, a Buddhist stupa in the Mahayana tradition, is the largest Buddhist monument in the world. Located on the Indonesian island of Java, 40 km (25mi) northwest of Yogyakarta, Borobudur was built between 750 and 850 AD.

The magnificent temple is a three-dimensional mandala (diagram of the universe) and a visual representation of Buddhist teachings.

For centuries, Borobodur lay hidden under layers of volcanic ash. The reasons behind the desertion of this magnificent monument still remain a mystery.

Some scholars believe that famine caused by an eruption of Mount Merapi forced the inhabitants of Central Java to leave their lands behind in search of a new place to live. When people once again inhabited this area, the glory of Borobudur was buried by ash from Mount Merapi.

Borobudur was rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles who, during his visit in Semarang, received a report indicating the discovery of a hill full of many carved stones. The hill was believed by the local inhabitants to be the site of an ancient monument called budur. Raffles then commissioned a team led by Cornelius to investigate the hill.

It was in 1835 that the site was cleared. Some efforts were made to restore and preserve the colossal monument since then. Unfortunately, in 1896 the Dutch colonial government gave away eight containers of Borobudur stones, including reliefs, statues, stairs and gates, as presents for the King of Siam who was visiting Indonesia.

A restoration program undertaken between 1973 and 1984 returned much of the complex to its former glory, and the site has since become a destination of Buddhist pilgrimage. On January 21, 1985 the temple suffered minor damage due to a bomb attack. In 1991, Borobudur was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Viewed from above, Borobudur takes the form of a giant mandala, symbolically depicting the path of the bodhisattva from samsara to nirvana, through the story of Sudhana described in the Gandavyuha Sutra, a part of the Avatamsaka Sutra. In total, this massive monument contains over 2 million stone blocks.

Some scholars think that this massive monument is a gigantic textbook of Buddhism to help people to achieve enlightenment. To read this Buddhist textbook in stone requires a walk of more than two miles. The walls of the galleries are adorned with impressive reliefs illustrating the life of Buddha Shakyamuni and the principles of his teaching.

Representing the existence of the universe, Borobudur perfectly reflects the Buddhist cosmology, which divides the universe into three intermingled separate levels. The three levels are Kamadhatu (world of desire), Ruphadatu (world of forms), and Arupadhatu (world of formlessness).

The hidden base of Borobudur was originally the first level, which contains the gallery of Kamadhatu level. It is thought that during construction Borobudur experienced a landfall that threatened the entire building. To prevent the whole monument from collapsing, the Kamadhatu level was closed and made into a new base that holds Borobudur steady.

This level of Kamadhatu pictures the world of passion and the inevitable laws of karma. The first 117 panels show various actions leading to one and the same result, while the other remaining 43 panels demonstrate the many results that follow one single effect. At least 160 relief panels were carved around this level, based on the manuscript of Karmavibhangga. What is left of these can be seen in the Southeast corner of this level.

The reliefs of the Rupadhatu level show the stories based on the manuscripts of Lalitavistara, Jataka-Avadana and Gandavyuha. The Lalitavistara reliefs, consisting of 120 panels, tell us about the life of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. It starts with the glorious descent of Buddha from the Tushita heaven. Born as Prince Siddhartha, Buddha's childhood was isolated from the outside world's misery. Accidentally witnessing the misery of sickness, decrepitude and death, young Prince Siddharta decided to escape from the worldly life and commencing his search of freedom from suffering. Siddhartha’s long and painful search finally led him to the highest level of enlightenment and made him Buddha, the Enlightened One. This story ends with Buddha’s sermon in the Deer Park near Benares.

The Jataka is a collection of stories about Buddha's previous reincarnation, chains and virtues. According to the Jataka, Buddha was born 504 times before being born as Prince Siddharta, taking on the forms of god, kings, princes, learned men, thieves, slaves, and a gambler. Many times he was born in the forms of animals such as lion, deer, monkey, swan, big turtle, quail, horse, bird and many others. But the Boddhisatva (Buddha-to-be) was distinguished from all other kings, slaves, or animals among whom he lived. The Boddhisatva is always superior and wiser than those around him.

As to the relief of Avadana, the main figure is not the Buddha himself. All the saintly deeds pictured in this part are attributed to other legendary characters. The stories are compiled in Dvijavadana (Glorious Heavenly Acts) and the Avadana Sataka (The Hundred Avadana). The first 20 frames in the lower series of stories on the first gallery depict the Sudhanakumaravana.

The series of reliefs covering the wall of the second gallery is dedicated to Sudhana’s tireless wandering during his search for the highest wisdom. The story is continued on the walls and balustrades of the third and fourth galleries. Most of the 460 panels depict the scenes based on the Mahayana text Gandavyuha, while the concluding scenes are derived from the text of Badracari.

On the last three circular uppermost terraces, 72 stupas circle the huge main stupa that crowns the top of the temple. The circular form represents the eternity without beginning and without end, a superlative, tranquil, and pure state of the formless world. There are no reliefs on the three circular terraces.

All but the largest central stupas on the upper levels contain a (more or less) life-sized statue of the Buddha kneeling, although many of these statues are missing or damaged. There are also many alcoves along the lower levels which contain similar statues but many of these are missing or damaged as well.

Article : http://www.sacred-destinations.com/indonesia/borobudur.htm