In the heart of Java, a cultural spectacle is poised to captivate hearts as the Borobudur Marathon 2023 takes the stage on November 19, 2023. Celebrating its seventh year, this event transcends mere athleticism, promising a vibrant celebration of Magelang's scenic beauty, cultural richness, and the spirit of unity.
In recent years there has been growing interest in cultural and historical linkages that connect seemingly disparate societies. As a Nepali writer from the Shakya clan, belonging to the Newa community and hailing from the city of Patan, adjoining Kathmandu, I grew up with stories of how our ancestors traveled the world. My curiosity grew as the internet provided previously unimaginable access to places, documents and stories. In Beijing, for example, I learned that there are hutongs (lanes) designed by Arnico, an artisan from Patan who built many temples in the city under Kublai Khan, fifth head of the Mongol empire, who ruled China from 1272 to 1294. Other Nepalis moved to the islands of Java and Sumatra, in what is now Indonesia. Javanese legend attributes the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Buddhist temples at Borobudur, built in the eighth and ninth centuries near Muntilan in central Java, to Gunadharma, an artisan thought to have hailed from Nepal. Visiting these shrines, I felt curiously at home. The carvings in the restored gates look similar to those at my family’s local temple, the Hiranya varna Mahavihar (Golden Temple) in Patan -- not least because the lions in both temples have faces resembling monkeys. Real lions were not found in either place. The way in which statues of the Buddha are orientated in six different directions at Borobudur is also similar to their arrangement in the Golden Temple and the Swayambhu temple in the Kathmandu Valley. Several other Buddhist temples seem to have been built in this manner -- including large terrace-style stupas (dome-shaped Buddhist shrines) constructed at Nalanda and Antichek in India and at Paharpur in Bangladesh.