The UNESCO site of Borobudur is one of the greatest Buddhist relics of South East Asia. It was built in the 9th century but with the rise of Islam, it was abandoned shortly after its completion. From a birds eye view, the temple is in the shape of a traditional Buddhist mandala. From the exterior to the interior, three zones of consciousness are represented, with the central sphere representing unconsciousness or Nirvana The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kamadhatu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey, the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades. There are over 400 Buddha statues and on the top terraces are 70 Buddha images sitting in lattice stupas.
Nearby is Mendut temple which is visted by pilgrims before they go to Borobudur. Inside the temple are three large statues. The main statue depicts Sakyamuni or Buddha sitting western style with both feet touching the ground and his hands depicting the Dharmacakra mudra (the turning of the Dharma Wheel) On either side sits two Bodhisattvas – divinities who have been blessed with enlightenment. One of them, Avalokitesvara, is said to liberate devotees from the karma of speech while the other one, Vajrapani, liberates from the karma of thought. The Buddha statue itself is said to liberate its devotees from bodily karma.