Travellers from countries far and wide come to visit Borobudur to get a closer look at one of the most magnificent Buddhist shrines in the world. And well-informed visitors will not miss out on doing something there: Trying to reach 'the particular part' inside the stupa.

Borobudur Stupa is located 42 kms from Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, Indonesia. It was built at the end of the 9th century by the Hindu kings of the Sailendra dynasty. It is a massive, symmetrical monument, 200 square meters in size, sitting upon a low sculptured hill. Walking through nearly five kilometres of open air corridors while ascending through six square terraces and three circular ones, the pilgrim symbolically spirals upward from the everyday world to the nirvanic state of absolute nothingness.

Visitors ascend the first six terraces filled with richly decorated relief panels in which the sculptors have carved a textbook of Buddhist doctrines and a fascinating panorama of 9th century Javanese life.

Upon the upper three terraces are 72 small stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. Crowning the entire structure is a great central stupa, representing Nirvana, which is empty. As far as your eyes can see, up on three terraces are local and foreign visitors ascending the small stupa, putting their hands inside it.

"Did you manage to touch it?," said a traveller from Greece. "And how big is it?," said another from Spain. "I touched the statue but not 'that particular part'. It is difficult," said an American girl while wiping her forehead with a tissue.

Inside each stupa is a statue of Buddha who is in a meditating pose. There is the widespread belief that anyone who can touch 'the particular part' lying between the statue's thighs will be blessed with good luck and be fulfilled what he or she wants in life. Locally, this most delicate icon of fertility is called Kontol Bimo. In English, this would roughly translate as "Bimo's dick".

It remains a mystery as to where the charmingly evocative name is actually derived from. Bimo is one of the wayang (puppet) figures with a tall, powerful body. Locals say that Bimo symbolizes brawny, courageous, powerful character traits.

But one thing is certain: until today, many visitors to the monument there try to touch 'the particular part' inside the stupa. Not everyone, however, can manage to reach it even though he or she might have long arms. "Only particular persons, especially those that deserve help from Buddha, will be able to reach it" claims a local villager.