Published on October 13, 2014
Shortly upon arrival in Indonesia for the internet.org campaign, on Sunday, 12th October 2014, Founder and CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, paid a special visit to one of the most fascinating heritage sites in the country and the world: the magnificent Borobudur Temple in Magelang Regency, in the Central Java Province. Making the most of his trip, Zuckerberg took time to admire the spectacular sunrise from the top of the largest Buddhist temple in the world.
Internet.org is a partnership between social networking service company Facebook and six mobile phone companies (Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera Software, and Qualcomm) that aims to bring affordable Internet access to everybody by increasing affordability, increasing efficiency, and facilitating the development of new business models around the provision of Internet access. The campaign itself is set to take place on Monday, 13th October 2014 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Jakarta.
“I just arrived in Indonesia and hiked up Borobudur to watch the sunrise. Tomorrow for Internet.org I’m looking forward to meeting with developers, operator partners and government leaders in Jakarta”, wrote Zuckerberg in his Facebook account along with a picture of himself sitting among the stupas of Borobudur, serenely watching the beautiful sunrise on the horizon.
The posted picture was immediately flooded with “likes” and delighted comments, and shared by thousands of “facebookers” around the world.
Head of the Manohara Unit of Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko Temples Park, Urip Nugroho said that Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to the Borobudur Temple is significant in promoting Borobudur Temple.”His trip to Borobudur has boosted promotion of the Temple, especially since the posted picture received thousands of positive comments from all over the globe” said Urip Nugroho as quoted by antaranews.com.
The management of Borobudur Temple explained that Mark came as just a regular visitor without any special escort since he did not make any prior arrangements. “The management was not informed, and he came as a regular guest; perhaps to better enjoy the spectacle and avoid public attention”
Urip Nugroho added that for the past 3 months, the number of tourists visiting daily to watch the sunrise from the highest stupa of the Borobudur Temple is quite high. “Borobudur’s Sunrise always attracts many people during August to October. On weekends, the number can reach between 150-200 domestic and international tourists.This is because, during the dry season such as now, the sunrise is always visible and is definitely most captivating” added Urip Nugroho.
Borobudur Temple is a majestic masterpiece. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Borobodur is the largest Buddhist monument in the world and the single most visited spot in Indonesia. 75 years in the making, Borobudur was constructed from 2 million intricately carved volcanic rocks, and assembled using a complex interlocking technique without the use of cement or mortar. Aside from its enchanting beauty and high artistic value, Borobodur is a structure rich in history, culture and religion.
