This worship building is one of the Buddhist temples estimated to have been built by the Syailendra Dynasty between the 8th and 9th centuries AD, but the exact time of construction is unknown because there is no strong enough data. According to Casparis, Pawon Temple is a place to store the ashes of King Indra (782 - 812 AD), the father of King Samarrattungga of the Syailendra Dynasty. In the room in the body of Pawon Temple, it is estimated that there was originally a Bodhisattva statue, as a form of respect for King Indra who was considered to have reached the Bodhisattva level. Experts believe that Pawon Temple is the gateway to Borobudur Temple, as a place for people to cleanse their bodies and minds from inner dirt.

The name of Pawon Temple is not known for certain. Epigraphy expert J.G. de Casparis interpreted that Pawon comes from the Javanese word 'awu' which means 'ash', gets the prefix pa- and the suffix -an which indicates a place. In everyday Javanese, the word pawon means 'kitchen', but de Casparis interprets it as 'crematorium' or place for ashes. Local residents also call Pawon Temple by the name Brajanalan. Because it is located in Brojonalan Hamlet (Brajanalan). This word may come from the Sanskrit word vajra which means 'lightning' and anala which means 'fire'. Inside the temple chamber, there is said to be a statue. The Karangtengah Inscription states that the statue emits vajra (light). This statement raises the suspicion that the Bodhisattva statue is made of bronze. According to Prof. Dr. R.M Poerbatjaraka, Pawon Temple is Upa Angga, meaning part of Borobudur Temple, like a pawon is part of a house.

Pawon Temple is made of andesite stone. This temple has a square plan, with sides measuring 10 m long and 13.3 m high. The temple building faces west, has one chamber with a chamber size of 2.65 m x 2.64 m and a height of 5.20 m. The shape of this temple is slender, unlike Borobudur Temple which is stocky. The Pawon Temple building is architecturally divided into three parts, the foot, body, and roof of the temple. The foot of the temple is in the form of a 1.5 m high batur. The foot of the temple is decorated with many ornaments, such as flowers and vines. The body of the temple is decorated with Bodhisattva statues, and the roof of the temple is decorated with stupas. The entrance to the temple is located on the west, the steps of the entrance are decorated with makara, and on the upper threshold of the entrance there is a kala decoration. The roof of the temple is square in shape with decorations in the form of small stupas on each side and the top is decorated with a larger stupa.

On the front wall of the temple, above the entrance to the temple (below the kala relief), there is a relief depicting Kuwera (God of Wealth) in a standing position.

On the north and south walls of the temple there are the same reliefs, namely those depicting Kinara and Kinari (half-human, half-bird creatures/human-headed, bird-bodied), a pair of birds with human heads, standing flanking a kalpataru tree growing in a vase. Around the tree are several money bags. At the top, a pair of humans are seen flying. At the top of the wall there are also a pair of small windows that function as ventilation. Between the two ventilation holes there is a kumuda carving. The reliefs at Pawon Temple are decorative reliefs, there are no story reliefs on this temple.