A still, stone Buddha’s back is visible in a photograph and beyond the Buddha, some mountains. That upright stone back reflects the mountains beyond, at once austere and grand. I want to find out where this statue is, and whether it is a part of something. The photograph turns out to be one of a Buddha statue in Borobudur, Indonesia. Borobudur, incidentally, is the site of the biggest Buddhist monument in the world, built in the ninth century in Java.

Mention Indonesia and normally the first place that springs to mind is the alluring island of Bali. But Borobudur is not to be missed and can be combined with a trip to Bali. An added advantage is Borobudur’s closeness to the city of Yogyakarta, renowned for its fine art, culture and shopping.

Borobudur, now a UNESCO World Heritage Park, lay hidden in jungle and volcanic ash for several years, remaining untouched and unknown for a long time. It offers a breathtaking combination of stunning physical landscape, artistic triumph and spiritual beauty. Timeless and powerfully peaceful, the inward-looking gaze of the ancient Buddhas draws the weary soul towards it like a magnet.

Our base was the small luxury hotel, Amanjiwo (the name means ‘peaceful soul’), itself an architectural marvel. Don’t go to an Aman property expecting TVs (though you can have one if you ask) and the bling decor of the world’s largest resorts, but expect a superlative level of service and attention to detail. Resting in a natural amphitheatre, with the Menoreh Hills rising behind it, Amanjiwo is designed with a deep sense of respect to Borobudur (which it faces) and to blend unobtrusively with its environment.

After a leisurely day dining and relaxing in our bale (thatched roof pavilion), we went to Borobudur for the first time at sunset. Rohmat, our guide-turned-friend-and-philosopher, knew all about the Mahabharata and the Ramayana and was very interested in Buddhist philosophy. Delighted that we were from India, he took the opportunity to ask us a lot of detailed questions about the epics and about Shah Rukh Khan!

When we walked towards Borobudur with Rohmat that first time, I was struck by the sheer blackness of the monument and how dramatic it looked against the evening sky. The blackness is due to the volcanic stone. While I paced dreamily around it, I was unexpectedly surrounded by a large gaggle of excited school girls. They flung their arms around me in a group hug and asked if they could take photos. Rohmat explained that Bollywood is popular in Indonesia and that my salwar kameez identified me as being Indian.

Borobudur reveals its treasures via a series of elaborately-carved tiers, a central stupa at the summit. As one performs the circumambulations to look at the carvings and reach the top, one takes the path of a pilgrim; Borobudur is shaped like a mandala and each level represents a different stage of life, taking one from samsara to nirvana, moving from a state of desire, to desireless formlessness. Climbing up the steep steps into the monument is a struggle, symbolic of this transition! Each tier has several narratives, depicting, among other things, the theory of karma, and stories from the life of the Buddha. The topmost level has no carvings, only statues of the Buddha and stupas. Here, one can sit and take in the beauty of the universe.

Not far from Borobudur is a much smaller and slightly older Buddhist temple, Mendut. Three large statues of the Buddha Shakyamuni, Bodhisattva Vajrapani and the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara are contained within it. This is where the Waisak festival begins, when monks walk from Mendut to Borobudur on a full-moon night in May, carrying candles, flowers and offerings. The staff at Amanjiwo arranged for us to visit Mendut at night, decorating it with diyas and flowers. The experience of being in this sacred, quiet space, with just my husband for company, has been one of the most moving experiences of my life.

From Mendut, we wandered into the nearby monastery, as the gardens looked very inviting. Stupas and statues of Buddhas dotted the lawns, gently lit for the night. A young monk came out and greeted us and took us into the library where, with great generosity, he insisted on giving us some books in English for free.

It is, of course, mandatory to wake at an uncivilised hour and view the most spectacular monuments in the world by sunrise. Despite my grumbling, it was worth getting out of bed in time to see the gentle rays of dawn lighting the Buddha heads at Borobudur. We returned to Amanjiwo by elephant, and the ride back, through fields of paddy, chillies and nuts and villages was a revelation. Each village house, even the poorer ones, had pots of flowers and there were orchids everywhere. Villagers came out to wave, shouting out greetings.

Elephants are greedy and mine was no exception. She kept veering off the path to rip a snack from a passing shrub. Back at Amanjiwo, we fed the elephants some fruit. My elephant was suddenly overcome with shyness, coyly storing the bananas in her curled up trunk. On the other hand, my husband’s elephant demanded ‘more’ in no uncertain terms, feeling him up with her trunk, prodding him and searching the floor around him to check if he’d hidden any from view! This was a special holiday, filled with special moments. Make your way to Borobudur before it becomes too popular.

FAR AND AWAY

Borobudur precincts The massive Hindu temple complex of Prambanan and the city of Yogyakarta. Prambanan was badly damaged during the 2006 earthquake and the interiors of the temples remain off limits, but it is still very much worth a visit. Yogyakarta is renowned for its silver-work, leather puppets, batik (explore Jalan Malioboro for a variety of shops) and cultural traditions, especially shadow puppetry and the classical Javanese dance and music performances, often held at the Sultan’s kraton.

Getting there Yogyakarta and Solo airports are nearest to Borobudur and are connected to Jakarta and Denpasar in Bali. Connecting flights are also available from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

Visiting months The best time to go is between May and October. The Waisak festival is held in May.

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