“Living to Live” Efforts to Preserve Local Wisdom in the Borobudur Area
Borobudur Temple has long been recognized as a world cultural heritage site and a leading tourist destination in Indonesia. However, beyond its architectural splendor, Borobudur also holds ancestral wisdom about how humans navigate life, build togetherness, and maintain a harmonious relationship with nature.
The spirit of reviving these values was evident through the "Living Alive" event held in the Kalpataru area of Borobudur Temple Tourism Park in Magelang, Central Java, on Tuesday (August 25, 2026). In this inaugural event, Living Alive featured a cross-disciplinary collaboration between the gamelan group Menthang Gandewa and Gardika Gigih, a pianist and composer from Sragen.
This self-help-based activity provides a space for the community to re-experience their closeness to Borobudur through artistic expression, spiritual reflection, and dialogue about the life values passed down from their ancestors.
This performance, pioneered by the Urip Iku Urup collective, embodies the spirit of providing benefits to others. This value serves as a foundation for viewing Borobudur not merely as a tourist destination, but as a space that holds knowledge, experiences, and life wisdom relevant across generations.
This spirit is translated to open up space for interaction and collaboration between communities that has been part of the life of the Borobudur community since ancient times.
Gardika Gigih's performance presents an artistic experience through his compositions. The intersection of traditional music and contemporary musical explorations symbolizes intergenerational encounters.
Visitors can enjoy the atmosphere of Borobudur at night. It's not just a tourist destination, but also a space for gathering, expression, reflection, and appreciation of ancestral heritage.
Going forward, the spirit of "Living Life" is expected to continue to develop into a sustainable activity. The public and tourists can see and experience Borobudur from a more holistic perspective, as a world cultural heritage monument and a space that preserves local wisdom about life, togetherness, spirituality, and environmental sustainability.
