A
cattra, the stacked-umbrella-shaped stupa from the central summit of
Borobudur, rises high in the middle of the lobby at the Amanjiwo Resort,
illuminated by yellow lights from the dome above it. This arrangement
of stones, with a diameter at its base of 193 cm and a height of 320
cm, was built on the suggestion of Theodor van Erp, who led the first
restoration of Borobudur Temple between 1907 and 1911. The cattra was
installed at the end of that restoration for documentary photograph
purposes, but three months later was disassembled, following debate
among the archeologists about its archeological relevance to Borobudur.
The cattra has been installed for the 10th anniversary of the Amanjiwo Resort – which lies only two kilometers to the south of Candi Borobudur – as a tribute from the resort to the world's greatest Buddhist monument.
In
addition to the cattra, the Amanjiwo is also displaying 11 genuine
stone artifacts and Buddha statues at various places within the resort.
One, known as the "unfinished Buddha," remains a mystery;
some say that the statue was left unfinished as a representation of
the Buddha's perfection, while others claim that it was placed there
deliberately by Hartman, Resident (Dutch colonial administrator) of
Kedu, who cleaned Borobudur's central stupa in 1850.
The exhibition also features 30 old photographs from the collection of Borobudur's Conservation Department, portraying the history of Borobudur from when it was first rediscovered through its first restoration. It also includes ancient terracotta reliefs, four stupas from Thailand, paintings about Borobudur – including works by the late Affandi – and old books about Borobudur, including van Erp's own work, Beschrijving van Barabudur, and Thomas Stamford Raffles's The History of Java.
Amanjiwo guests can enjoy this exhibition from 27 October 2007 to 31 January 2008, while gazing at the original Candi Borobudur standing proudly in the distance.
Amanjiwo
Borobudur, Magelang
Central Java, Indonesia
Tel: +62 293 788 333
Fax: +62 293 788 355
E-mail: amanjiwo@amanresorts.com
www.amanresorts.com
