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Borobudur, in central Java, Indonesia, is the largest Buddhist monument in the world. Built in the 9th century by the Sailendra dynasty, it was active until around 1100 and then was abandonned in the thick jungle, until being rediscovered in 1815 by Stamford Raffles, vice-governor of Java. It was built according to the Mahayana Buddhist tradition in the shape of a mandala, with ten levels representing the ten stages to enlightenment. It contains 504 life size buddha statues and 72 stupas. Borobudur has been restored on several occasions and was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1973. 27 June 2008.
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