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Originally it was over 27 m tall. Mendut was only a mound of rubble with cows eating grass on top until 1836 when it was cleared e"ll the dirt that hid it. It dates from about the same time as Borobudur, 850 A.D. The temple has extensive galleries, terraces, and a stupa on top of the main structure. A very sophisticated knowledge of Buddhist and Shivaite texts, Indian iconography, symbolism, and monumental architecture was crucial to build it. Its builders no doubt visited the Indian Holy Land.