Borobudur

Elevation of Borobudur

Statue on the Temple

Elevation of Borobudur

Walls on the Borobudur

Borobudur is a mound of earth clothed in stone, without mortar. Borobudur served as the scared diagram of the world mountain and symbolized Buddhist path to enlightenment. Five square walled terraces rise concentrically, each beaming beutifully carved scenes of life of Buddha.(Taken from The Complete Handbook of Architecture)

Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The Borobudur monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa. 

The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kamadhatu (the world of desire), Ruphadathu (the world of forms) and Aruphadathu (the world of formlessness). 

Borobudur ground plan taking the form of a Mandala

Half cross-section with 4:6:9 height ratio for foot, body and head, respectively

The most bigger stupa in the middle of the Borobudurs'

Borobudur is built as a single large stupa, and when viewed from above takes the form of a giant tantric Buddhist mandala, simultaneously representing the Buddhist cosmology and the nature of mind. The foundation is a square, approximately 118 meters (387 ft) on each side. It has nine platforms, of which the lower six are square and the upper three are circular. The upper platform features seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large central stupa. Each stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative openings. Statues of the Buddha sit inside the pierced enclosures.

Approximately 55,000 cubic metres (72,000 cu yd) of stones were taken from neighbouring rivers to build the monument. The stone was cut to size, transported to the site and laid without mortar. The monument is equipped with a good drainage system to cater for the area's high stormwater run-off.