This silent film from 1928 was originally released by Pathe Exchange as part of a series of educational films entitled “People and Cultures of the World.” The film begins with a map of Java, Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula. At 1:34 the ruins at Borobudur are shown. This is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the world’s largest Buddhist temple.The temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa.Built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, the temple design follows Javanese Buddhist architecture, which blends the Indonesian indigenous cult of ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana. The temple demonstrates the influences of Gupta art that reflects India’s influence on the region, yet there are enough indigenous scenes and elements incorporated to make Borobudur uniquely Indonesian. The monument is a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The pilgrim journey begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument, ascending to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology: Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). The monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades. Borobudur has one of the largest and most complete ensembles of Buddhist reliefs in the world.

At 4:04 traditional dances and music performance are shown, with a young hero fighting off evil foes. At 6:40 a local marketplace is shown. Birds are shown in cages at 8:00. At 8:20 the river is shown where clothes are washed and people are shown bathing. Men are seen doing laundry as well. At 9:30 a title card states that “the people of Java are mostly Malay, a Mongoloid mixture…” another card states that “…since the Mohammedans (Islam) and Indians have come into the island the women wear white jackets…” At 10:30 a “gentleman of Java” looks at the camera and interacts with the film crew as the movie draws to a close.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com