Borobudur Will Be Turned Into a Living Heritage, the Government Will Involve 20 Villages

Fadli Zon said Borobudur needs to be managed as a living heritage or living cultural heritage. (IST)

MAGELANG - The Ministry of Culture encourages Borobudur Temple not only to be treated as a world heritage building, but also as a cultural space that remains alive in the community.

This was discussed in the Borobudur Cultural Spiritual Cultural Sarasehan at Nurudin House, Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java, Sunday, May 3. This activity was attended by village heads and spiritual culture practitioners from 20 villages in the Borobudur area.

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon said Borobudur needed to be managed as a living heritage or living cultural heritage. This means that preservation does not stop at the stone, relief, and tourism, but also touches on traditions, communities, and the lives of residents around it.

"We encourage cultural sites, especially those that have become world heritage such as Borobudur Temple, to become living heritage so that there is sustainability," said Fadli.

Fadli also touched on the plan to install a chattra at Borobudur Temple. According to Fadli, the installation is aimed at complementing the function of Borobudur as a place of worship for Buddhists.

The plan, said Fadli, had been discussed with UNESCO Director-General Khaleed El-Enany. He said UNESCO understood the need.

"In principle, UNESCO understands our needs, because the installation of the chattra aims to complement Borobudur and at the same time provide direct benefits to the surrounding community," said Fadli.

The seminar also discussed spiritual culture in the Borobudur area, the Tosan Aji heritage and community, the parade, spiritual food, and the relationship between the surrounding village traditions and the temple reliefs.

A number of citizen aspirations were also conveyed. Among them are village conservation, preservation of traditional houses, traditions, arts, the role of art practitioners, and synergy between the central and regional governments.

The issue of education was also discussed. Local culture is considered to be closer to the world of education so that it does not stop as a tourist attraction.

Director General of Cultural and Traditional Protection Restu Gunawan encourages the public to use the Indonesia Raya Fund program to strengthen cultural activities in the Borobudur area.

Fadli also invited the younger generation to use social media to promote local culture. According to him, culture can boost the economy if it is managed with clear values and roots.