Mendut Temple is located in Mendut village of Mungkid subdistrict in Magelang, central Java, about 38 kilometers northwest of Yogyakarta. It is just 3 kilometers from the temple of Borobudur, which is believed to be closely connected to the temples of Pawon and Mendut.
There’s no assurance about the year the temple was constructed, but J.G. De Casparis claims that Mendut was founded in 824 AD by the first king of the Syailendra dynasty.
The conclusion is based on the material of the Karangtengah inscription (824 AD), which states that King Indra had founded a sanctuary called Wenuwana.
Casparis interprets Wenuwana (the bamboo forest) as the temple of Mendut. This temple is also considered to be older than Borobudur.
The temple of Mendut was discovered in 1836. The entire structure was found, except for the roof that had already collapsed.
Between 1897 and 1904, the Dutch government began renovation works which produced a favorable outcome, although the temple was still far from perfect.
This work was able to restore the base of the temple and the body was reconstructed. In 1908, Van Erp led the rebuilding and renovation of the temple to restore the roof, place stupas, and repair some parts of the walls. Works had once stopped due to financial restrictions but resumed in 1925.
The Mendut temple is built on a rectangular shape, 26.4 meters high. The body of this Buddhist temple is placed on a 2-meter high platform, which also serves as a walkway.
The wall surrounding the platform is decorated with 31 panels of story-telling relief and sculptures of scenic beauty and climbing vegetation.
