| Pawon | |
|---|---|
| Native name ꦥꦮꦺꦴꦤ꧀ (Javanese) | |
_-_img_01.jpg) Northwestern facade of Candi Pawon | |
| Location | Magelang,Central Java |
| Coordinates | 7°36′22″S110°13′10″E / 7.60616°S 110.219522°E /-7.60616; 110.219522 |
| Built | Originally built in the 9th century during the reign of theSailendra Dynasty |
| Restored | 1835 |
| Restored by | Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles |
| Architect | Gunadharma |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, ii, vi |
| Designated | 1991(15thsession) |
| Part of | Borobudur Temple Compounds |
| Reference no. | 592 |
| Region | Southeast Asia |
  Location within Java Show map of Java Pawon (Indonesia) Show map of Indonesia | |
Pawon (Indonesian:Candi Pawon) is aBuddhist temple inCentral Java,Indonesia. Built during theSailendra dynasty (8th–9th centuries), it is a part of theBorobudur Temple Compounds which consists of three temples located on the same axis;Borobudur, Pawon, andMendut. All three temple are inscribedUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.
Located between two other Buddhist temples,Borobudur (1.75 km (1.09 mi) to the northeast) andMendut (1.15 km (0.71 mi) to the southwest), Pawon is connected with the other two temples, all of which were built during theSailendra dynasty (8th–9th centuries).[1] Examining the detail and style of its carving this temple is slightly older than Borobudur.
The three temples were located on a straight line, suggesting there was a symbolic meaning that binds these temples. According to Yazir Marzuki and Toeti Heraty, "Between Mendut and Borobudur stands Pawon temple, a jewel of Javanese temple architecture. Most probably, this temple served to purify the mind before ascending Borobudur."[2]
The original name of this Buddhist shrine is uncertain. Pawon means "kitchen" inthe Javanese language, which is derived from the root wordawu or dust. The connection to the word "dust" also suggests that this temple was probably built as a tomb or mortuary temple for a king.[3]Pawon is from the wordPer-awu-an (a place that contains dust), a temple that houses the dust or ashes ofthe cremated king. However, who was the personage that entombed here is still unknown. Local people name this temple "Bajranalan" based on the name of the village. Bajranalan is derived from theSanskrit wordsVajra (thunder or also a Buddhist ceremonial tool) andAnala (fire, flame).
_-_img_01.jpg)
The temple slightly faces northwest and stands on a square base. Each side of the stairs and the top of the gates are adorned with carved Kala-Makara, commonly found in classic Javanese temples. The outer wall of Pawon is carved with reliefs ofboddhisattvas andtaras. There are also reliefs ofkalpataru (tree of life), flanked betweenKinnara-Kinnari. The square chamber inside is empty with a square basin in the center of it. Rectangular small windows were found, probably for ventilation.
The roof section is crowned with five smallstupas and four small ratnas. Because of its relative simplicity, symmetry and harmony, the historians dubbed this small temple as "the jewel of Javanese temple architecture", in contrast with tall-slender East Javanese style counterparts as found in laterSinghasari andMajapahit period.
In the contemporary era during the full moon in May or June,the Buddhist community in Indonesia observesWaisak and participates in the annual procession by walking from Mendut passing through Pawon and ends at Borobudur.[4]
trans. by Mark Long
Media related toCandi Pawon at Wikimedia Commons
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