MENDUT TEMPLE

Mendut temple is the second largest temple in the area after Kedu Borobudur. This temple is located in the village Mendut, Mungkid, Magelang, around 38 km northwest of Yogyakarta, and 3 km from the temple Barabudur. Mendut Budhistis temple and is closely related to the Borobudur temple and Pawon. Even the third temple is a unity and are in a straight line.
Mendut temple is also not known the exact year of construction and the king in power at that time. However J.G. de Casparis in Mendut disertasinya the temple with the king Indra, a descendant of king Sailendra. An inscription found in the village numbered years Karangtengah 824 M Sailendra king who issued the other Samarattungga, said that the king Indra Samarattungga father had built a building called holy Venuvana (bamboo forest). Casparis opinion if this is correct, then Mendut temple was founded about 800 years old M also. Other data that can be used as a temple pertanggalan Mendut is finding any posts short (part of the mantra Budhis) suspected of coming from the top of the entrance. From the paleografis any posts are similarities with the writings on the short relief Karmawibhangga at the Borobudur Temple is suspected so that Mendut sezaman with Borobudur, and may be older.

In the year 1834 Mendut temple began to get attention even if the same fate with the other temple-temple, which is in collapse and destroyed. Hartman, a resident at the start Kedu attention Mendut temple. In the year 1897 made the preparation-preparation for restoration. From 1901-1907 J.L.A. Brandes step forward and try merestorasi Mendut temple and then resumed by 1908, although Van ERP does not work fully reconstruct.
In the temple there is a statue of Buddha is the largest in Indonesia with about 3 meters high made of black stone and loaded with cult attributes.

J.G. de Casparis Mendut temple that was built to glorify the ancestor-ancestor Sailendra. In the main room this temple there are 3 pieces of sculpture according to the experts-sculpture figurine is identified as Cakyamuni that diapit by Bodhisatwa, Lokeswara and Bajrapani. In the book of Sang Hyang Kamahayanikan mentioned that the highest reality (advaya) memanifestasikan itself in 3 gods (Jina), namely: Cakyamuni, Lokesvara, and Bajrapani. As a Budhistist temple, reliefs in the temple also contains Mendut stories moral teachings that usually form the stories of animals that come from Pancatantra from India. Stories, among other is a turtle diterbangkan by a goose and two tails be depicted beneath some shepherd children that seems to ridicule the turtle. Because turtles are in the emotional response to derision, the terlepaslah gigitannya of the rod so that the timber held, and drop dead. The core story is about the nature of academic hubris that will harm themselves.
Direction Mendut temple is not appropriate to the west, but slightly shifted to the northwest. Is the overall area of 13.7 x 13.7 meters high and up to the roof of some 26.5 meters.