Borobudur
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Buddhist Temple in Indonesia
Tourists walking up to Borobudur temple at mid-day in Indonesia. This ancient temple and UNESCO World Heritage site sitso n the ring of fire, with earthquakes erupting below and an active volcano spewing ash just 27 kilometers away.
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Above the Temple
Bell-shaped stupas decorating the upper levels of temple. One problem that plagues the temple is the constant downpours it experiences. Eighty inches of rain fall on the temple every year. Even before it is completed, Borobudur begins to break apart, as the rain triggers mudslides below.
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Sun Sets on Borobudur
Buddha and bell-shaped stupas against the sky at sunset.
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Temple View
North-West side of Borobudur temple with Bodhi trees. Today, Borobudur has a new lease on life thanks to a massive restoration in the 1970s and 80s funded by UNESCO.
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Behind-the-Scenes Team
Pak Werdi, superviser for the temple's waterproofing, resting in front of a row of bas reliefs. What keeps the temple up and running today is a dedicated behind-the-scenes team. The Volcano close by,Merapi, erupts every four years on average. In 2010, it erupted, killing more than 350 people and entombing Borobudur again beneath hot, choking ash. It took non-stop, backbreaking work by Borobudur’s conservationists and maintenance crew to rescue the temple.
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Bas Reliefs in borobudur
A row of bas reliefs along a corridor in Borobudur, showing signs of deterioration.
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Central Stupa
Bell-shaped stupas against the Central Stupa on overcast day. Werdi restored the destroyed stupas after the bombing. In 2010, he left his home covered in ash to go to Borobudur to clean.
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Buddha Statues Intact
One of the exposed and intact Buddha statues on the upper levels of the Borobudur temple.
