5 Temple Attractions Around Borobudur Temple
Jawa Tengah is known as the province of 1000 temples because it has hundreds of cultural heritage in the form of temples spread across several regencies/cities in Jawa Tengah. A very popular temple and a tourist magnet for Jawa Tengah is Borobudur Temple in Magelang Regency. This Buddhist temple not only has amazing architecture so making it interesting to visit but also has high historical value. While in Magelang, you can also explore other temples that are also thousands of years old and located not far from Borobudur Temple.
MENDUT TEMPLE
When crossing the main route of Jogja - Borobudur, precisely on Mayor Kusen Street, you will find a temple called Mendut Temple. The age of this Buddhist-style temple is estimated to be older than the Borobudur Temple. An inscription from Karang Tengah dated 824 AD mentions that King Indra of the Syailendra dynasty built a sacred building. A Dutch archaeologist, J.G. de Casparis, connected the holy place with Mendut Temple. This temple has a 10 x 10 meters rectangular base plan with a 13.3 meters building height. On the walls of the temple, there are reliefs containing stories based on Buddhist history. Some relief decorations use animal figures as characters, such as Brahmana and Crab, Swan and Turtle, Two parrots, etc.
PAWON TEMPLE
Pawon Temple has located only 1.75 km from Borobudur Temple, precisely in Brojolanan, Wanurejo Village, Borobudur District. This building is estimated to have been built in the 8-9 centuries AD as a place to store the ashes of King Indra's body. Experts argue that Pawon Temple is the gateway to Borobudur Temple, as a place for people to cleanse their bodies and minds from defilements.
UMBUL TEMPLE
Different from other temples in general, Umbul Temple is a hot water bathing site from the kingdom of the Syailendra dynasty which is now a tourist attraction in Magelang Regency. Located in Kartoharjo Village, Grabag District, Umbul Temple is about 9.6 km away from Borobudur Temple in the direction of Semarang. The Umbul Temple site has two rectangular pools of different sizes and most of the walls of the pool are andesite stone. The source of warm water comes out of the bottom of the pool or 'mumbul' (umbul) in Javanese. Umbul Temple can be an alternative for you who want to unwind by soaking in hot water like a royal family in a beautiful rural atmosphere.
SELOGRIYO TEMPLE
If you have a hobby of trekking, then visiting Selogriyo Temple can be an option. This temple is located in the forest, Windusari District, about 28 km from Borobudur Temple. To reach this location, you can use a two-wheeled motorized vehicle or walk about 30 minutes from the gate. Since it is located in the middle of the forest, you will see a natural panorama of hills and rice terraces that are very stunning along the way. Don't forget to capture it with your camera!
NGAWEN TEMPLE
Who would have thought that not far from the main route of Yogya - Magelang, to be precise in Muntilan, there is a relic temple from the 9-10 century AD, namely Ngawen Temple? The temple is set in Buddhism and consists of 5 temples in a row. One of its uniqueness is the presence of 4 lion statues in every corner of Temple II and Temple IV. This temple is located in Ngawen Village, Muntilan District, and is surrounded by rice fields and residential areas.
