Magelang Tourism Travel Guide

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Magelang Tourism Travel Guide and Tourist Information.

Magelang is a cool pleasant medium sized town about 43 mm north of Yogyakarta, surrounded by several mountains; Merapi and Merbabu in the east, Sumbing and Sindoro in the west, and by some Regency such as Temanggung Regency, Semarang Regency, Boyolali Regency, Purworejo Regency, Wonosobo Regency, Magelang Municipality and Special Regency Yogyakarta. Stretches along the equator between 110001'51” and 110026'58” East Longitude and between 7019'13” and 7042'16” South Latitude.
Magelang town is also the capital of Magelang municipality, which covers an area of 18,12 square kilometers. It consists of two districts and fourteen villages. It is known, besides for its pleasant climate and beautiful surroundings, for the facts that the Indonesia National Military Academy is located here.

When Britain colonised Magelang in the eighteenth century, Magelang became the seat of the government and was made to the same level as a regency with Mas Ngabehi Danukromo as its first leader (Bupati). Mas Ngabehi Danukromo built Alun-Alun (town square), bupati residence and a mosque. Magelang became the capital of Karesidenan Kedu in 1818. After the Dutch defeated the British, Magelang was made the central of economy because its strategic location. The Dutch government built drinking water tower (known locally as Menara Air Minum) in 1918 which provides the city with water. Electricity became available in 1927. The roads were remade using asphalt.

A number of the town's buildings from the Dutch East Indies era have become heritage landmarks. The Karesidenan Kedu building, now known as Museum Pangeran Diponegoro, was where Prince Diponegoro was arrested by the Dutch colonial government during the Java War (1825-1830). The chair on which the Prince sat remains in the museum. A fingernail, believed to be Diponegoro’s, remains on the arm of the chair. A statue in his honor stands in Magelang’s town square.

Magelang City is a small city which is located in a fertile agricultural area and one of the most densely populated regions on Central Java. Magelang City has two borders. Its western border is Progo river; its eastern border is Elo river. The city is divided into three districts and several subdistricts.

The composition of demography based on its religion and belief, Magelang people has varied and different belief and religion. Majority of magelang citizen are Muslim, but there are minority group such as Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and also there are also spiritualism and traditional Javanese belief. Therefore, Magelang citizen are plural, although majority of them Muslim. They usually stick together and keep mutual relationship among them. Perhaps, it is a Javanese wisdom which every people to get close and involve to maintain society.

Magelang tourism travel guide and tourist information popular destination :

Borobudur Temple.
Borobudur Temple is one of the most prestigious historical properties that can be found in Indonesia. It is noted as one of the World Wonder Heritage by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The architectural style has no equal through out the world. The inspired structure representing the micro cosmos, which have very often given rise to question e.g. when, in what way, during how long time and by whom the sanctuary had been built.
The existence of Borobudur was discovered by General Governor Sir Thomas Raffles around 800 A.D., after being buried for a long time following the eruption of Merapi Volcano. It is said that the temple was built at the era of King Syailendra in the eight century. “Borobudur” is derived from “bara” / “vihara” that means “temple;” and “budur” or “beduhur” that means “above” or “hill.”
Borobudur Temple situated 34.5-meter-high monument comprises 10 layers, which the lower six are square and the upper three layers are circular. Reliefs on the wall are counted about 1460, while the Buddha statues are about 504 and 72 stupas. Just take a bird-eye view, thus the temple is almost like a lotus. It has been estimated that the construction of Borobudur took between 30 to 60 years to complate, based on the assumption that most of labourers were also farmers who had to stop work regularly to tend their farms.
There is evidance that the temple was originally coated in white plaster and painted. It must have been an awsome sight to see a majestic, colorful temple rising above the greenery! Borobudur has full of philosophical ornaments in which it is completly symbolizing the unity in diversity of path that can be followed to reach the ultimate aim of life. The reliefs engraved on the wall of the temple tell about the beatiful learning of life. However, during the 10 th and 11 th centuries there was transfer of power from central java to the east, Borobudur Temple became completly neglected and given over to decay because of that unfortunate political situation. The sanctuary was exposed to volcanic eruption and other ravages nature.
Discover the ancient stories, which mostly are influenced by Buddhism like Ramayana and Mahabharata, on the relief wall of Borobudur Temple. You can discern the whole story by reading the relief clockwise. Not only does the relief display the stories of both Ramayana and Mahabharata, but the social circumstance happening in society. The relief displays the surrounding farmers` activities, especially in agriculture. From this we can see that the society had ever suffered from advanced agricultural devices of that time.
The biggest stupa as well as the highest symbol of Buddhist divine concept, is a representation of the universe. It consists of three layers that symbolize the Buddhist concept on micro-cosmos. The first layer is a symbol of the world wherein the evil deed still plays a huge role in the human will. The second layer depicts a world wherein the human has been capable of managing evil deed to improve the good deed. The third layer symbolizes the human life in which the people are able to avoid from mere mundanity.
Although Borobudur may be just a small village, it has become a leading tourism destination, since it is home to one of Indonesia's most famous and largest Buddhist temples. The Borobudur Temple draws visitors from all over Java and beyond, and is quite spectacular, comprising well-preserved terraces, stairways, gateways and various stone reliefs.

Mendut Temple.
Mendut Temple is a ninth century Buddhist temple, located in Mendut village, Mungkid sub-district, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The temple is located about 3 km from Borobudur Temple aroute to Yogyakarta. The roof is in pyramidal shape. Inside the temple there is Budha statue accompanied with two other statue – not yet recognized.
Mendut temple is only a small temple compared to The Giant Borobudur, yet it has a very important function for every prosession held in Borobudur. Most of Budhism ritual celebrations get started here.
Built around early ninth century AD, Mendut is the oldest of the three temples including Pawon and Borobudur. The Karang Tengah inscription, the temple was built and finished during the reign of King Indra of Sailendra dynasty. The inscription dated 824 AD mentioned that King Indra of Sailendra has built a sacred building named Venuvana which means "bamboo forest". Dutch archaeologist JG de Casparis has connected the temple mentioned in Karang Tengah inscription with Mendut temple. In 1836 it was discovered as a ruins covered with bushes. The restoration of this temple was started at 1897 and it was finished at 1925.
The 26.4 metres tall temple is facing west. The stairs projecting from the west side square elevated base is adorned with Makara statue on each sides, the side of the stairwall carved with bas-relief of fable narrating the animal story of buddhist teaching. The square terrace surrounding the body of the temple was meant for pradakshina or circumambulating ritual, walking clockwise around the temple. The outer walls is adorned with bas-reliefs of Boddhisattvas (buddhist divinities), such as Avalokitesvara, Maitreya, Cunda, Ksitigarbha, Samantabhadra, Mahakarunika Avalokitesvara, Vajrapani, Manjusri, Akasagarbha, and Boddhisattvadevi Prajnaparamita among other buddhist figures. Originally the temple had two chambers, a small chamber in the front, and the large main chamber in the center. The roof and some parts of the front chamber walls are missing. The inner wall of front chamber is adorned with bas-relief of Hariti surrounds by children, Atavaka on the other side, Kalpataru, also groups of devatas divinities flying in heaven.
The main room housed three beautifully carved large stone statues. The three statues are the Buddhist main divinities revered in Mendut temple which can explain the spiritual purpose of the establishment of this temple. The 3 metres tall statue of Dhyani Buddha Vairocana was meant to liberate the devotees from the bodily karma, at the left is statue of Boddhisatva Avalokitesvara to liberate from the karma of speech, at the right is Boddhisatva Vajrapani to liberate from karma of thought.
Today, during the full moon in May or June, Buddhists in Indonesia observe Vesak annual ritual by walking from Mendut passing through Pawon and ends at Borobudur.

Pawon Temple.
Pawon Temple is a Buddhist temple located between two other Buddhist temples, Borobudur about 1.75 km to the northeast and Mendut about 1.15 km to the southwest, Pawon is connected with the other two temples, all of which were built during the Sailendra dynasty (eight–ninth centuries).Examines the detail and style of its carving this temple is slightly older than Borobudur.
The temple slightly faces northwest and stands on a square base. Each sides of the stairs and the top of the gates are adorned with carved Kala-Makara, commonly found in classic Javanese temples. The outer wall of Pawon is carved with reliefs of boddhisattvas and taras. There are also reliefs of kalpataru (tree of life), flanked between Kinnara-Kinnari. The square chamber inside is empty with a square basin in the center of it. Rectangular small windows were found, probably for ventilation.
The roof section of is crowned with five small stupas and four small ratnas. Because of its relative simplicity, symmetry and harmony, the historians dubbed this small temple as "the jewel of Javanese temple architecture", in contrast with tall-slender East Javanese style counterparts as founds in later Singhasari and Majapahit period.
The original name of this Buddhist shrine is uncertain. Pawon literally means "kitchen" in Javanese language, which is derived from the root word awu or dust. The connection to the word "dust" also suggests that this temple was probably built as a tomb or mortuary temple for a king. Pawon from the word "Per-awu-an" (place that contains dust), a temple that houses the dust of cremated king. However who was the personage that entombed here is still unknown. Local people name this temple as "Bajranalan" based on the name of the village.
In the contemporary era during the full moon in May or June, Buddhists in Indonesia observe Vesak annual ritual by walking from Mendut passing through Pawon and ends at Borobudur.