sukuh temple in karanganyar

Sukuh is a Hindu temple complex administratively located in the Village area Berjo, District Ngargoyoso, Karanganyar, former Surakarta, Central Java. The temple is classified as a Hindu temple since the discovery of the object of worship phallus and yoni. This temple is considered controversial because of its less common and because of the depiction of the human genitals explicitly on some figure.Sukuh been proposed to UNESCO to be one of the World Heritage Site since 1995.A brief history of discoverySukuh site was first reported in the reign of Great Britain in Java in 1815 by Johnson, resident of Surakarta. Johnson was then tasked by Thomas Stanford Raffles to collect data in order to write his book The History of Java. After the British government passed, in 1842, Van der Vlis, Dutch archaeologist, doing research. The first restoration began in 1928. 
The location of the templeLocation Sukuh located at the foot of Mount Lawu slope at an altitude of approximately 1,186 meters above sea level at coordinates 07o37, 38 '85' 'South latitude and 111o07 ,. 52'65 '' West Longitude. The temple is situated in Hamlet Sukuh, Berjo Village, District Ngargoyoso, Karanganyar, Central Java. The temple is located approximately 20 kilometers from the town of Karanganyar and 36 kilometers from Surakarta.The structure of the temple
 Plan Sukuh.Sukuh building gives the impression of simplicity is striking at the visitors. The impression one gets from this temple is quite different to that obtained from a large temples in Central Java: the Borobudur and Prambanan. Building form Sukuh tend to be similar to the Maya cultural heritage in Mexico or the Inca cultural relics in Peru. This structure also remind visitors of the forms of the pyramids in Egypt.The impression simplicity attracts renowned archaeologist Netherlands, WF Stutterheim, in 1930. He tried to explain it by giving three arguments. First, the possibility of sculptor Sukuh but not a bricklayer carpenter from the village and not from the palace. Secondly, temples made with somewhat hastily so that less tidy. Third, the political situation at that time with before the fall of Majapahit, not possible to create a large and magnificent temples.The visitors entering the main door and entered the gate will see the most distinctive architectural form that is not arranged perpendicular but somewhat oblique, trapezoidal in shape with a roof on it.Rocks in this temple slightly reddish color, because the stones used is the type of andesite ..The first terrace of the temple

 The main gate Sukuh.On the first terrace there is the main gate. At this gate there is a sengkala Memet in the Java language that reads blind gate Aban wong ("giant archway human prey"), each of which has a meaning 9, 5, 3, and 1. If reversed it obtained in 1359 (Saka) ( 1437 AD). This year's figures are often regarded as the foundation of this temple, although more likely is the year of completion built this gate. On the other side there is also a tangible relief Memet sengkala elephant turbaned biting snakes. It is considered to symbolize the sound of blind anahut tail gate ("giant arch bite tail"), which can also be interpreted as a Saka 1359. 
Relief sengkala at gate•

Sengkala Memet (picture) which is interpreted as a blind arch Aban wong.•
Sengkala Memet were interpreted as blind anahut tail gate.The second terrace of the templeGate on the second terrace is damaged. On the right and left of the gate there is a statue doorman or Dwarapala commonly present, but in a state of disrepair and had no clear shape again. Gate has no roof and on this terrace there are a lot of statues. At this gate there is a candrasangkala in the Java language that reads wiku anahut elephant tail, which means "elephant tail biting pastor" in Indonesian. These words have meaning 8, 7, 3, and 1. If reversed it obtained in 1378 Saka or 1456 AD.The third terrace of the templeOn the third terrace there are great courtyard with the main temple and some berelief panel on the left as well as the statues on the right.Right at the top of the main temple in the middle there is a square that seemed to be the place to put the offerings. Here there are traces of frankincense, myrrh and incense is burned, so it looks still often used for worship.Then on the left side of the main temple there is a series of panels with reliefs that tell the main mythology Sukuh, Song Sudamala. Relief sequence is as follows.The first panel
 The first panel.
 On the left side is depicted the Sahadewa or Sadewa, twin brothers Nakula and is the youngest of the five Pandavas. Both are sons of King Pandu of Madrim, his second wife. Madrim died when Nakula and Sadewa child and both raised by Kunti, the main wife of Pandu. Kunti then nurture them along with their three sons of Pandu: Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna. This relief depicts Sadewa squatting, followed by a clown or accompanist. Faced with Sadewa terlihatlah a female character is the goddess Durga who is also accompanied by a clown.The second panel
 The second panel.
 At this second relief sculpted goddess Durga image which has turned into a raksasi (ogress) faced terrible. Two giants terrible; Kalantaka and accompanying Kalañjaya Batari Durga being angry and threatened to kill Sadewa. Kalantaka and Kalañjaya is the incarnation vidyadhara condemned for not respecting god that must be born as the giant ugly. Sadewa tied to a tree and threatened to be killed by the sword because they do not want to liberate Durga. Behind visible among others, there Semar. Visible manifestation of a ghost hovering over the tree and the right there are two owls. This looks horrible painting is a painting in the woods Setra Gandamayu (Gandamayit) disposal of the gods who was expelled from heaven for a foul.The third panel
 The third panel.
 In this section described how Sadewa together punakawannya, Semar dealing with a blind hermit named Tambrapetra and daughter Ni Padapa at the Hermitage Prangalas. Sadewa would cure him of his blindness.The fourth panel
 The fourth panel
.The scene in a beautiful garden shows the Sadewa was chatting with Ni Padapa Tambrapetra and her daughter as well as a clown at the Hermitage Prangalas. Tambrapetra grateful and give her daughter to Sadewa to marry.The fifth panel
 

Scenes fifth panel.These panels depict scenes power struggle between the two giants Bima and Kalantaka and Kalañjaya. Relief only shows one of the two giants. Bima with extraordinary strength was raised to be killed by the giant nail pañcanakanya. The inscription reads speak Javanese Kawi script, reads padamel rikang book [r] tirta sunya, which is sengkalan means 1361 Saka (1439 AD). 
Statues of the Garuda
 
Inscription Sukuh.Then on the right side there are two statues of Garuda which is part of the quest story Tirta Amrita (water of life) contained in the book Adiparwa, the first book of the Mahabharata. At the tail of the Garuda there is an inscription (writing inlay) reads lawase Rajeg wesi duk pinerp kapeteg dene ki wong medang hempu rama karubuh alabuh geni harbut earth kacaritane babajang mara let Setra Hanang pliers bango by reading Darmosoetopo (1984). In essence, this inscription is suryasengkala symbolizing the year 1363 Saka (1441 AD) [1].Then, as part of the Amrita quest story in this section there are three statues of turtles that symbolizes the earth and the incarnation of the god Vishnu. Turtle shape resembles a table and there is a possibility it is designed as a place to put offerings. A truncated pyramid whose top symbolizes the peak of Mount Mandaragiri taken for churning the ocean looking for Tirta Amrita.See story Sea Looking playback AmertaSeveral other buildings and statuesIn addition to the main temples and statues of turtles, eagle and reliefs, they also found some animal-shaped sculptures wild boar (wild boar) and saddled elephants. In ancient times the knights and nobility berwahana elephant.Then there were the building berelief horseshoe with two human figures in it, on the left and right are facing each other. Some argue that this relief symbolizes the womb of a woman and left symbolize evil figure and the figure of the right represents virtue. But it is not so clear.Then there was a small building in front of the main temple, called temple pewara. In the center, the building is hollow and there is a small statue without head. This sculpture by some circles still is sacred because it is often given offerings