Candi Pawon is located in Borobudur Hamlet, Borobudur District, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. Also named as Bajranalan Temple, this is situated 2 km of Borobudur Temple and 1 km from Candi Mendut. Candi Mendut, Candi pawon and Candi Borobudur are located on a straight line, as the base of opinion that those temples have close relations. Beside located in one line, the similarities also shown on the carving motives among them. Carparis sited that Candi Pawon is funerary temple for King Indra (782-812), the father os Samarrattungga from Syailendra Dynasty. And Purbatjaraka stated that Candi Pawon is the upa angga or part of Candi Borobudur.
Pawon name derives from javanese ‘pawuan’ means place to keep ash (awu). Inside the temple chamber, deemed that there was Bodhisatva statue to honor King Indra that was considered reaching Bodhisatva stage. Karang Tengah inscription mentions that the statue brought lights. Those inscription verse raises presumption that the statue was made of bronze.
The temple platform is 1.5 m, rectangle and on the edge creates 20 deg angle. The wall is decorated with various motives such as floral and creeping plants. The shape of this temple is slim, like Hindu temple. The entrance is on the west, and it is decorated with kala makara without lower jaw. Stairways to the hall way is equipped with railing way that is ornamented with dragon head. Though the chamber is empty, it showed that there was statue there.
On the left and right side of the entrance, there are niches with carving of standing Kuwera, god of wealth. Carving on other sides have been damaged, only the north wall that still intact only headless.
On the north and south wall, also carved same relief, Kinara and Kinari, couple of birds with human head. They stand flanking a kalpataru tree in a vase. Around the tree carved few money containers, flying human. Upper the wall completed with 2 ventilations where between them is decorated with kumuda carving.
Temple’s roof is a terrances rectangle with several dagoba or domes on each side. And the top is decorated with bigger dagoba.