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One of several important holy sites built in central Java during the late eighth and early ninth centuries, the magnificent Buddhist monument of Borobudur is unequaled in size, complexity, and symbolic significance. Conceived as a cosmic symbol of heaven and earth, its architecture, embellished with over one mile of narrative reliefs illustrating the lives of the Buddha and his disciples, directs the Buddhist pilgrim on a physical and spiritual journey from the base to the summit of the monument, from earthly to pure realms. This lavish, encyclopedic study of Borobudur makes it possible to understand as never before the sources of the monument's historical background, its architecture, and its symbolism, which draw from Hindu and native Javanese, as well as Buddhist, traditions. Jean-Louis Nou's sensitive and breathtaking photographs establish the monument's setting and impressive scale, capturing the mysterious turns and passageways and inviting the reader to reenact the pilgrim's journey ascending this labyrinthine mandala of stone. In an important appendix to Louis Frederic's extensive discussion, the volume reprints the complete set of excellent black-and-white photographs (including those documenting the over 150 narrative reliefs now inaccessible to the viewer) published between 1927 and 1930 by Th. van Erp and N.J. Krom in their seminal Beschrijving van Barabudur. Detailed maps; essays on the geographical, political, religious, and commercial circumstances in Java; a chronology of Borobudur from its original construction to the completion of its recent restoration in 1983; a glossary; and a bibliography complete this indispensable volume.
