Mendut Temple - History & Architecture of Buddhist Heritage in Indonesia

Mendut Temple - Mendut Village, Mungkid District, Magelang Regency, and Central Java are all home to Mendut Temple. The distance from Yogyakarta is around 38 kilometers, while the distance to the Borobudur Temple is 3 km. The architecture of this temple is distinctively Buddhist. King Dharanindra or Indra of the Syailendra dynasty constructed the site of worship that later took the name Mendut Temple. The Karang Tengah Inscription, which was written in 824 AD, contains proof of its founding.

According to R. Soekmono's book Temples: Its Functions and Understanding (2005), the inscription explains that King Indra constructed a sacred structure known as crimad venuvana, which translates to "sacred building in a bamboo forest.

" The name Mendut Temple was connected to King Indra's naming method in J.G. de Casparis' 1950 dissertation; it was then utilized as the name of the village where the temple is situated.

In his book Sriwijaya (1960), historian Slamet Muljana hypothesized that King Indra was related to Sri Maharaja Rakai Panunggalan, the third ruler of the Medang Kingdom during the Central Java period, also known as the Ancient Mataram Kingdom.

Mendut Temple, which coexisted with Borobudur Temple, was in existence until the 10th century. Mendut Temple was abandoned because Mount Merapi's eruption caused it to be, like Borobudur Temple, abandoned.

Discovering the Mendut Temple

Mendut Temple was covered in vegetation and hidden in the earth when it was first found. B. Kersjes and C. den Hamer carried out a survey of this recently found temple in the 19th century in 1836.

The Dutch East Indies government conducted restorations and excavations between 1897 and 1904. The temple's body and legs had at this point been successfully constructed. This restoration took place concurrently with T. van Erp's continuation of repairs to the Borobudur Temple in 1908.

Only in 1925 were all the preservation efforts at Mendut Temple finished. The Mendut Buddhist Vihara, which has a dormitory, a place of prayer, a garden, and various Buddha sculptures, is located just adjacent to the temple.

Mendut Temple Construction

Mendut Temple is rectangular, according to information taken from the National Library of Indonesia's website. A 2 m high rock supports the entire 26.40 m high structure. On the west side, in front of the temple entrance, which has viewing posts, are the stairs leading to the temple hall. Buddha's teachings are portrayed in carved panels that line the walls of the stairway. A statue depicting two dragons opening their mouths may be found at the bottom of the steps. In the dragon's mouth, there is a creature that resembles a lion. Then, behind the dragon, is a panel bearing a picture of the dwarf "Gana."

In addition to the stairs, there are 31 panels with stories, floral carvings, and tendrils on the wall at the base of the temple. A water channel is located on the ledge's exterior wall (jaladwara). Mendut Temple is thought to resemble the temples near the Dieng and Gedongsanga Temple Complexes because of its three tiny cube-shaped roof.

Additionally, the Mendut Temple is furnished with statues and stupas. Three Buddha sculptures may be found directly within the booth: a cross-legged Cakyamuni, an Avalokitesvara who symbolizes the nature of cooperation, and a Maitreya who represents the eventual liberation of humanity. The roof of the Mendut temple then has a total of 48 stupas. There are 24 pieces on the bottom level, 16 pieces on the middle level, and 8 pieces on the top level.