A total of 2,568 lanterns were released at Borobudur in honour of the current year in the Buddhist calendar.
Every year, Buddhists all around the world flock to sacred temples to commemorate Wesak, one of the most important Buddhist festivals marking the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.
But did you know that (what is arguably) the biggest and most spectacular Wesak celebration can be found in Indonesia?
On the night of the full moon, thousands of lit lanterns take flight at Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist monument, creating a breathtaking illuminated show for spectators.
The practice of releasing lanterns on Wesak was first introduced at Borobudur in 1966, which has since become the Wesak Lantern Festival – considered the epic finale following days of celebrations and ceremonies.
At this year’s peak Wesak celebration on May 23, over 15,000 visitors thronged the Borobudur temple complex, located near the city of Magelang in Central Java.
Maddy Dawkins, 24, from Australia said that she and her friends, all students of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, were excited to experience Wesak for the first time.
“It’s pretty special – there’s just this great energy in the park right now. We’re all really excited to be here, and we even dressed up in white,” she shared.
Celebrants are encouraged to don white garments during Wesak festivities, as the colour white symbolises purity.
Max Ottenhoff, 30, from the Netherlands adds: “It has actually been a very amazing experience, seeing Borobudur like this and also being able to participate in the parade. We’re most looking forward to seeing the lanterns light up.”
During Thudong, pilgrims will conduct Pradakshina at Borobudur, a practice that consists of walking clockwise around the structure three times while meditating. — HANIS MAKETAB/The Star
Despite the dark clouds hovering above during the day, we were assured that “precautions” had been taken to ensure no rainfall that evening.
However, nature did as it wished, anointing the crowd with a light shower just as the first round of lanterns took to the night sky against the backdrop of Borobudur’s bell-shaped stupas.
A total of 2,568 lanterns were released in honour of the current year in the Buddhist calendar, symbolising the hope of attaining enlightenment and inner peace after freeing oneself from worldly suffering.
Participating visitors were invited to write their wishes on stickers that would then be attached to the lanterns, which were designed to quickly degrade in the air so that no waste would land on the ground after the festival.
The rain did little to deter those participating in the lantern release, nor those who came to watch, and as we witnessed the lanterns being lit and slowly filling up with hot air before floating off into the sky, it certainly felt like our worries were floating away as well.
Celebration of unity
Wesak at Borobudur may have ended on a high with the lantern festival, but the days leading up to it were no less festive.
Three days before Wesak, 40 Buddhist pilgrims carrying out the Thudong walking ritual arrived at Borobudur, climbing up to the upper levels of the temple to conduct Pradakshina, a practice that consists of walking clockwise around the structure three times while meditating to honour Buddha.
The pilgrims – who came from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore – travelled to Borobudur on foot, walking about 80km from Buddha Jayanti Wungkal Kasap Temple, Semarang.
Known as bhikkhus, the pilgrims practise Thudong to learn patience and discipline, as the ritual involves strict rules, such as only eating food offered by households passed along the way and wearing robes made from discarded fabric.
Bhante Sukhit from Thailand noted that although Indonesia is known as a Muslim-majority nation, the bhikkhus were welcomed and treated well by all.
Peak Wesak Celebrations at Borobudur temple. — Photos: InJourney
“This is my first time doing the Thudong in Indonesia, and the kindness and tolerance from the people has been a great experience. It can sometimes be dangerous for us to walk on our own, but we have had a lot of support from the local authorities and general public, so we have felt safe throughout our journey,” he said.
The Indonesian Assembly of Nyingma Buddhists (Muni), a religious organisation under the Indonesian Federation of Buddhist Organisations (Walubi), also hosted prayers for national and world peace at the Nyingma Monlam Chenmo Indonesia event, held over two days at Taman Aksobya in the Borobudur Temple Complex.
Originally held in Bodh Gaya, India, this year marked the second Nyingma Monlam that was conducted in Indonesia, which gathered hundreds of Buddhists to follow prayers conducted by three revered masters: His Holiness Kathok Situ Rinpoche, a prince from Bhutan; His Excellency Tulku Ngawang Jigdrel Rinpoche; and His Excellency Serling Tulku Yongdzin Rinpoche.
Another part of the Nyingma Monlam Chenmo event was the Larung Pelita Purnama Siddhi ritual on the Progo River near Borobudur, which saw hundreds of floating lanterns being launched into the river at night under the full moon.
Three large lanterns shaped like the stupas of Borobudur were lit and blessed before being released, followed by smaller lanterns made from coconut shells carrying the wishes of those taking part in the ceremony.
Lama Rama Santoso Liem, head of the Nyingma Monlam Chenmo Indonesia 2024 Committee, explained that Larung Pelita Purnama Siddhi was a key ceremonial offering, as the lantern symbolises enlightenment in Buddhism.
“Releasing the lanterns into a flowing river represents spreading our hopes for global peace and prosperity throughout the world.
“The ritual was held at Progo River because it is a confluence of smaller rivers from around Borobudur Temple – due to this, it is considered a sacred waterway by Buddhists, holding spiritual and historical significance,” said Rama Santoso.
On Wesak Day itself, thousands of Buddhists and participating locals joined the Wesak Parade, which travelled over 4km from Mendut Temple to Borobudur Temple. Led by a marching band, those in the parade carried Buddhist symbols such as Buddha relics, the wheel of Dharma, the flame of Dharma and various offerings.
Many wore traditional costumes and sprinkled holy water on onlookers.
“The procession represents Buddha’s spiritual journey when looking for a way out of dukkha (suffering) to the great enlightenment. Buddhists that are united in Dharma (the teaching of the Buddha) joined this procession with solemnity and sanctity. This procession also served as a homage to the teachings of the Buddha and the history of Buddhism in Indonesia,” said Winarni Harsono, coordinator of the Wesak Parade Procession 2024.
Spirituality and tourism
Since 2022, the ancient temples of Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko – which are some of the most-visited heritage sites around Yogyakarta – have been under the care of InJourney, a state-owned enterprise that integrates and oversees the country’s tourism sector, as well as supporting businesses.
Maya Watono, the director of InJourney’s marketing and tourism programme, said that InJourney was focused on elevating the 80ha Borobudur Temple Complex as a key destination for spiritual tourism not only in Indonesia, but internationally.
Three large, stupa-shaped lanterns were the first to be released for the Larung Pelita Purnama Siddhi ritual at Progo River.
“Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion and the third largest religion in Asia. Since we have the largest Buddhist temple in the world, we want to open it to the world while still maintaining the sanctity and sacredness of it, which requires a fine balance,” she said during a press conference at Borobudur recently.
According to Hetty Herawati, director of marketing and business development at InJourney Destination Management, a new masterplan was developed to revitalise the Borobudur Temple Complex and make it a sustainable tourist destination.
“We have allocated dedicated zones for various activities based on four pillars: conservation, spiritualism, education and tourism. After this year’s Wesak, we plan to begin renovations that will include a spiritual centre to better support mediation activities – kind of like a spiritual retreat. There will also be museums and a retail park that will sell locally-made handicrafts,” shared Hetty.
Some of the sustainable practices that have been introduced by InJourney include limiting the number of visitors who can climb up the temple to just 1,200 a day and requiring them to wear special woven sandals called upanat sandals, which are made of pandan leaves, coconut shells and an EVA sponge sheet to protect the structure from long-term damage.
The planned renovations to Borobudur are expected to be completed by September 2024.
“We are looking forward to receiving more visitors for Wesak at Borobudur in the years to come. Everyone is welcome to this global religious event,” Maya concluded.
Dawkins (left) and Ottenhoff (second from left) experienced Wesak at Borobudur for the first time with their friends. — HANIS MAKETAB/The Star
Travel notes
How to get there
Local carriers Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Batik Air all service the Kuala Lumpur to Yogyakarta route.
Where to stay
You can easily find accommodation in Central Java that suits all types of budget, from backpacking dormitories and motels to mid-range hotels and luxury resorts.
What to do
Apart from Borobudur, you should also visit the “other” famous temple, Prambanan, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Other attractions include Keraton Yogyakarta, Malioboro (great for shopping), Taman Sari Water Castle, Sonobudoyo Museum, and Tembelang Cliff.
BOROBUDUR QUICK FACTS
> World’s largest Buddhist temple
> Believed to have been built in the 9th century between 778 and 850 CE during the Sailendra Dynasty, making it older than Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia
> Made from bricks of grey volcanic rock using an interlocking system
> Designed to resemble a lotus flower, which is associated with purity, spiritual awakening and faithfulness in Buddhism
> Features 2,672 carved relief panels with Mahayana Buddhism teachings
> Has 504 Buddha statues and 73 stupas
> Abandoned for 800 years, rediscovered by Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1814
> Designated as a Unesco World Heritage site in 1991
> Consists of three levels, each representing the three realms of Buddhist cosmology:
1. Kamadhatu (The Realm of Desires) at the base
2. Rupadhatu (The Realm of Forms) in the five square platforms
3. Arupyadhatu (The Formless Realm) in the three circular platforms and the topmost stupa
