When a Singaporean friend told Jogjakarta provincial tourism authority head Tazbir Abdullah that Buddhists in South-East Asia don't really have a pilgrimage site, he hit on a plan.

"I thought why not market Central Java as a pilgrimage site for Buddhists in the region, since we have many Buddhist temples here," said Tazbir. Certainly the Borobudur would be an unforgettable experience, he thought.

The splendour of Borobudur, which is one of the ancient wonders of the world, is indescribable. An architectural miracle, this Buddhist monument is held together by an interlocking system of rocks.

The scenery from the pinnacle of the temple is breathtaking.

Sunrise at the Buddhist temple of Borobudur.

The Borobudur is a must-visit during Wesak celebrations when monks lead devotees almost 3km to the temple complex from nearby Mendut Temple.

About 1km west of Mendut Temple is another smaller temple, Pawon. The main entrance to both Borobudur and Pawon's sanctum sanctorum face the source of the Benares River in India.

Tazbir, who played host to several journalists from Malaysia recently during Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) inaugural flight to Jogjakarta, said his organisation was looking at creating pilgrimage packages.

He added Jogjakarta could also be a pilgrimage point for Hindus, as there are quite a number of Hindu temples here as well.

"Malaysian Hindus who want to go on a pilgrimage to a location nearer to home can come to Jogjakarta to visit the Prambanan temples, the largest Hindu temple complex in South-East Asia," he said.

According to Tazbir, besides ancient temples like Borobudur and Prambanan, there are also a good number of Hindu and Buddhist temples built in recent times.

"So, it could be a pilgrimage encompassing new and ancient temples," said Tazbir.

Many Hindus would be enthralled by the 9th century Prambanan temple complex, 17km east of Jogjakarta. Although most of the temples in the Prambanan temple complex were destroyed in the 2006 Java earthquake and have been cordoned off for safety reasons, it is still an overwhelming experience to be at this elaborate site.

Indonesian Hindus in a religious procession outside Prambanan.

In addition to a main temple dedicated to Lord Siva, the complex houses various temples for minor deities, including the celestial vehicles of the main deities such as Lord Siva's mount Nandi. There are also temples for Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma, the goddess Mahishasuramardhini and Lord Ganesha.

Those on pilgrimage tours can shop for beautiful statues of Hindu deities and the Buddha which are carved out of volcanic rock. Volcanic rocks are harvested from the foot of Gunung Merapi, which is in the same province.

Ancient volcanic rock statues of deities can be found in palatial homes such as the Sultan's palace in Jogjakarta city, which is open to the public.

Tazbir said the Jogjakarta provincial tourism authority are prepared to assist those interested in travelling to Jogjakarta on pilgrimage tours. He can be contacted at tazbir_t@yahoo.com or 00-62-274587486.