Pawon

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 is carved with reliefs of boddhisattvas and taras, and with reliefs of kalpataru (tree of life) flanked by Kinnara-Kinnari. The square chamber inside is empty, with a square basin in the centre. Small rectangular windows were found, probably for ventilation. The roof is crowned with five small stupas and four small ratnas. Because of its relative simplicity, symmetry and harmony, historians have called the temple the jewel of Javanese temple architecture, in contrast with the tall, slender East Javanese style of the later Singhasari and Majapahit periods.

Pawon lies between two other Buddhist temples, Borobudur 1.75 km (1.09 mi) to the northeast and Mendut 1.15 km (0.71 mi) to the southwest, all built during the Sailendra dynasty. The three temples stand on a straight line, which suggests a symbolic meaning that binds them. According to Yazir Marzuki and Toeti Heraty, Pawon most probably served to purify the mind before ascending Borobudur.