Let me introduce you to Borobudur,
Nine platforms, a dome, and a Buddhist decor,
Built in the 9th century, of Gupta design,
It is a place of pilgrimage, a Buddhist shrine.
The journey for pilgrims begins at the base,
And goes past relief panels all over the place,
You pass through 3 levels of Buddhist cosmology,
Before you wind up at the top of the tree.
The 14th century saw the monument’s decline,
Because Java concerted to Islam around that time.
It was discovered by Raffles in 1914,
Who made it his mission that it would be seen,
So from then onwards it was restored,
To make it a building that’s admired and adored,
Borobodur’s still used for pilgrimage once a year,
The Buddhists celebrate Vesak* here,
It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
So its future’s assured, its future is bright.

*Sometimes known as Buddha’s Birthday, it commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha.