Candi Sukuh (Temple of Sukuh)

A Mysterious Sensual Temple

Candi Sukuh complex (The Sukuh Temple) is a unique temple in Indonesia, Sukuh has simpler form than commonly temples of Indonesia, and Sukuh has unusual edifice style compared with other Indonesia temples, Sukuh temple more likely to Mayan Pyramid than commonly Indonesia temples.

Location

Sukuh Temple, look like Mayan Pyramid

Candi Sukuh Indonesian is a 15th century Javanese-Hindu temple that is located on the western slope of Mount Lawu (elev. 910 m above sea level) on the border of Central and East Java provinces. And Candi Sukuh not the only temple that built on the slopes of Mount Lawu, there is another unique temple near to Sukuh Temple named Candi Cetho. According to historian believed that Candi Sukuh is one of youngest Hinduism temple built in Java before the island converted to Islam in 16th century.

Candi Sukuh built in the era of Majapahit Kingdom (1293-1500) the highest imperious of Indonesia which occupy almost entire of Indonesia Islands plus Malayan Peninsula. This unique and mysterious temple take place far enough from the center power of Majapahit kingdom, the reason of this is because of Mount Lawu is one of the most sacred location in Java, according to their belief.

Now, location of Candi Sukuh administratively included to Sukuh Village, Ngargoyoso Sub Distric, Distric of Karanganyar, Central Java. In addition to the art of the temple, we can also see beautiful panorama surrounding of the tempe complex.

Explicit Sexual Narration

"Porn'" Statue and relief

Local people said that Candi Sukuh is a porn site, by some vulgar statues and reliefs which explicitly showing human sexual organs in a big form. Please note that even for modern Javanese people, sexuality is a sacred issue and still very sensitive issue to discuss in open occasion.

In Sukuh Temple, we can see some statue show an erect penis vulgarly; there is even a statue-like depiction of a man who was doing masturbation! In addition, form of the main temple is taking from the form of vagina. This is amazing.

I don’t know the actual reason behind the development of this temple, because we are all know that a Temple like other sacred buildings such as churches, mosques and temples, surely developed to be used as a place of worship. Certainly not a priest wants the erotic serving before worship.

Or, this building actually is not a temple? So far, there oral local belief stating that function of this building is as a tool to test the virginity of a virgin (most likely a wife candidates of a duke's). There is a narrow staircase in the middle of the main temple, when it passed by a virgin, then the membrane will be torn apart and bloody, if the girl was not a virgin then the fabric she worn will tear and open. Of course, this is done after going through some preliminary ritual. Again, this is only an oral story.

The Site Structure

The temple complex, which is generally constructed using andesitic rocks, have three blocks consisting of three terraces, which is each terrace has a gate. The main gate and the third are still well preserved, while the second gate was slightly damaged.

At the main gate there is a Sangkala in the Java language that reads "Gate of the giant preying human" These words have meaning 9, 5, 3, and 1. If reversed it earned number that show the year of 1359 Saka or 1437 AD.

Mayan and Sumerian

Annunaki?

For the author, buildings, statues and reliefs on the Sukuh Temple complex, are still leaves a big question mark, though it seems somewhat less attractive to our historians to exploit it.

First, the shape is more like a temple building formations created by the Mayans in the Americas. Maya pyramids have a similar shape to the Candi Sukuh. Sukuh form is too simple comparing with other temples in Indonesia, which generally have a complex form.

Secondly, some statues in this temple have different form compared to the forms found in other Indonesian temples. The most interesting is a form of human figures with wings that are very similar to the depiction of Annunaki, the gods worshiped by the Sumerians and Babylonians in the Middle East there.

Is there any connection between our ancestors to Mayan and Sumerian peoples? If yes then what kind of relationship? Mastery or friendship?

I am really skeptical of the notion that similarity is due to the similarity factor of sheer imagination.

There is a small temple near the Sukuh site, which has a similar characters story. Cetho Temple, where there were strange faces in the form of statues and reliefs.

I will explore Cetho Temple in the near time.