The viral picture is not of a Hindu temple, but a Buddhist Temple named Borobudur Temple
Claim: “#श्री_यंत्र जैसा दिखने वाला #मन्दिर #संसार का सबसे बड़ा #हिन्दू_मंदिर 9वीं शताब्दी में इसे #शैलेन्द्र_राजवंश द्वारा बनाया गया, यह सेंट्रल जावा इंडोनेशिया में स्थित है, वर्तमान में इसे #यूनेस्को धरोहर में शामिल किया गया है,।। #सनातन_सर्वश्रेष्ठ_है #जय_श्री_राम🚩”
Translation: This is the biggest Hindu temple, built by Shailendra Rajvansh, in the 9th century, it is in Central Java. It has been included in the UNESCO sites as well.”
An image of a temple in Indonesia has gone viral on social media claiming to be the biggest Hindu temple, built in 9th century has gone viral on social media.
The particular post has over 1000 shares,
Soon, the post was shared widely over Facebook,
#श्री_यंत्र जैसा दिखने वाला #मन्दिर#संसार का सबसे बड़ा #हिन्दू_मंदिर 9वीं शताब्दी में इसे #शैलेन्द्र_राजवंश द्वारा बनाया गया, यह सेंट्रल जावा इंडोनेशिया में स्थित है, वर्तमान में इसे #यूनेस्को धरोहर में शामिल किया गया है,।।#सनातन_सर्वश्रेष्ठ_है #जय_श्री_राम🚩 pic.twitter.com/4eMgRrqCml
— नाम मे क्या रखा है (@anmolkumar2424) May 22, 2020
Truth
Upon doing a Google Image Search of the viral image, we found the same image on a blog post, the image is of the ‘Borobudur Temple’ in Indonesia, which is the world’s largest Buddhist temple monument and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
According to the UNESCO website, Borubudur Temple is a “famous Buddhist temple, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, is located in central Java. It was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 m2. Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha”, as seen in the viral post.
Even though it is true that the temple is made during the Syailendra Dynasty in the 8th and 9th century, and it is located in Java; it is to be noted that it is a Buddhist Temple.
The UNESCO website clearly states it, it says, “The Borobudur Temple Compounds is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world, and was built in the 8th and 9th centuries AD during the reign of the Syailendra Dynasty. The monument is located in the Kedu Valley, in the southern part of Central Java, at the centre of the island of Java, Indonesia.”
It also states that, “The temple was used as a Buddhist temple from its construction until sometime between the 10th and 15th centuries when it was abandoned. Since its re-discovery in the 19th century and restoration in the 20th century, it has been brought back into a Buddhist archaeological site.”
According to UNESCO, Borobudur Temple, “… shows a unique blending of the very central ideas of ancestor worship, related to the idea of a terraced mountain, combined with the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana.”
Here are some photos of the Borobudur Temple up-close:
(All photography credits to UNESCO and to the Authors stated in the photos)
Hence it is established that the Borobudur Temple is a Buddhist Temple, and not a Hindu Temple as stated in the viral posts. The viral claims are absolutely false. However it is true that the temple was built by Syailendra Dynasty.
It is to be noted that the temple was built during the reign of Syailendra Dynasty, in the 8th-9th century, and since then it was a Buddhist Temple, between 10th and 15th centuries it was abandoned. Since its re-discovery in the 19th century and restoration in the 20th century, it has been brought back into a Buddhist archaeological site as stated on the UNESCO website.
