Yogyakarta, Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple

John Glines, Thailand. PRAMBANAN TEMPLE, Located in the village of Prambanan and known also as Loro Jongrang Temple or the "Temple of the Slender Maiden", Prambanan Temple was built in the 9th century and is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia. Its parapets are embellished with bas-reliefs illustrating the epic "Ramayana". The complex has eight major temples, the largest being the Temple of Shiva in the center of the complex. UPDATE: this temple was badly damaged in the earthquake of 27 May 2006 but has since reopened to tourists.

YOGYAKARTA, Founded in 1755, Yogyakarta is a major center for the classical Javanese arts of music, dance, puppetry and batik making. Unfortunately the city is at the foot of Mount Merapi which is still a very active volcano and is on a major fault, which time and again has damaged the city and the nearby temples.

Borobudur, in Central Java, was built in the 8th century and is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. It's a solid, stepped pyramid, the lower portion of which is decorated with 1,460 carved panels illustrating the life of the Buddha and his teachings. These panels, arranged in a series of galleries on four levels, create a narrative of ever increasing spiritual awareness, culminating in the three circular upper terraces, with 72 stupas, each containing an image of the Buddha. This upper level with its commanding view of the surrounding valley "symbolizes the formless world of pure knowledge and perfection, the beatific vision of a bodhisattva or enlighted one." (John Miksic in "The Mysteries of Borobudur")

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