Mendut Temple

Mendut Temple (Candi Mendut) is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Mendut village, Mungkid, Magelang Regency, Central Java, about 3 km east of Borobudur Temple. Part of the Borobudur Temple Compounds UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is renowned for its square base, 26.4-meter high terraced roof, and exceptionally preserved interior chamber housing a 3-meter seated Buddha statue flanked by Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani.

Visitors can expect a compact, single-structure temple set in a small walled courtyard with manicured gardens and large trees. The exterior features intricate stone reliefs and a raised base accessed by a short stairway. Inside the chamber, visitors can view the large seated Buddha statue with two Bodhisattva figures. The site includes an information area, open courtyard for circumambulation, and views of the surrounding village. It is quieter than Borobudur and typically visited as part of the Borobudur-Pawon-Mendut route.

Built in the early 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra dynasty, Mendut Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Central Java. It was constructed as part of a linear axis with Pawon and Borobudur temples. The temple was rediscovered in 1836 and restored in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its architecture represents classic Old Mataram period Mahayana Buddhism.

An important Mahayana Buddhist pilgrimage site housing revered statues of Buddha, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani. It serves as the starting point for the annual Waisak (Vesak) procession to Borobudur and remains an active place of worship and Buddhist education, with a modern monastery located nearby.