Question

Name the temple in Indonesia where scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata are depicted?
A. Brihadeshwara
B. Angkor Wat
C. Kailashnath
D. Borobudur

Answer 1

Hint: Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic about Rama and Sita. It is one of the two most important ancient epics in India. The first is the ancient Mahabharata. The story of Ramayana is about Prince Rama, who was expelled from the kingdom of Ayodhya. Mahābhārata is one of the two main Sanskrit epics of ancient India, and the other is Rāmāyaṇa. It tells the struggle between the two cousins ​​in the Kurukshetra War and the fate of Prince Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava and their successors.

Complete Answer:
Borobudur or Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple located in the Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. The temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six squares, and three circles, with a central dome on top. There is no known record of the structure or intended purpose of Borobudur. By comparing the carved reliefs on the hidden feet of the temple with inscriptions commonly used in the royal charters of the 8th and 9th centuries, the construction time can be estimated. Borobudur may have been established around 800 AD. This corresponds to the period between 760 and 830 when the Sailendra dynasty ruled the Mataram kingdom in central Java. At that time their power included not only the Srivijayan Empire, but also southern Thailand, the Indianized Philippine Kingdom, and North Malaya. At that time, the Hindu and Buddhist rulers in Java were still uncertain. Although the inscription found in Sojomerto also suggests that they may be Hindus, Sailendra is an ardent follower of Buddhism. It was during this time that many Hindu and Buddhist monuments were built on the plains and mountains surrounding the Kedu Plain. So, Ramayana and Mahabharata scenes are depicted in this temple.
So, the correct answer is Option D.

Note: In Borobudur Temple, kamadhatu is represented by a base, rupadhatu is represented by five square terraces, and aruppadhatu is represented by three circular platforms and a large stupa.