Children given early introduction to Borobudur

In an effort to help preserve the Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, UNESCO invited 150 children to learn about the temple and the various arts and traditions of the surrounding areas. The children, students at the English First language school from across Indonesia, were invited to join a short course on the cultural heritage of the temple on Saturday and Sunday.

Assisted by local guides, the children aged between five and 18 years old, were directed to various corners of the temples in groups. Equipped with brooms, the children were made to clean the temple, which remains covered by a blanket of volcanic ash from last year’s eruption of Mount Merapi.

“This activity is intended to introduce them at early age to the greatness of our culture,” EF country director for Indonesia Arleta Darussalam said Saturday.

The activity, she added, was also expected to give the children comprehensive information on the condition of Borobudur.

“[The children] will later be able to tell stories so that next year, and for years after, they can come back to Borobudur with a sense of belonging,” she said.

UNESCO representative Masanori Nagaoka said Borobudur was a world cultural heritage and belonged to everybody. But following damage wreaked by the Mt. Merapi eruptions, this was the right time for all Indonesians and the government to do whatever they could to preserve it, he said.

“Borobudur is ‘sick’ after the Mt. Merapi eruptions and we play an important role in helping to preserve it,” Surono, the ancient relics director at the Culture and Tourism Ministry, said.

In order to emphasize the importance of preserving the site, the children were later invited to plant trees at the 80-hectare temple complex after cleaning up the temple.

The event over the weekend was also attended by three representatives from Berkeley University and the chairman of Friends of Borobudur, Warwick Purser, EF brand ambassador Choki Sitohang and Dutch archaeologist Toni Tack.

The children and other guests will be introduced to the local culture around Borobudur on Sunday by visiting handicraft centers and experiencing the daily lives of area residents.