Sukuh Temple, located in Central Java, Indonesia, is one of
the most enigmatic and controversial ancient temples in Southeast Asia. Often
compared to the more famous Chichen Itza in Mexico due to its unique
architectural features, Sukuh Temple has drawn attention from both scholars and
tourists for its strikingly unusual and provocative reliefs. With its
depictions of sexuality and symbols of fertility, the temple challenges
traditional understandings of sacred spaces in Hinduism and offers insight into
the complex interplay of religious and cultural practices during the Majapahit
era.
One of the most discussed aspects of Sukuh Temple is its
numerous carvings and statues that display sexual imagery, including depictions
of male genitalia and sexual intercourse. These images have led some to label
Sukuh Temple as the “pornographic temple.” While these reliefs are certainly
unconventional compared to other religious sites, they are believed by some to
have had an important spiritual and symbolic meaning related to fertility.
Archaeologists and local legends suggest that these phallic
symbols, if touched, were thought to bring fertility, particularly to women
wishing to conceive. This association with fertility is not unique to Sukuh
Temple, as similar symbols have appeared in temples across Southeast Asia, yet
the overtly explicit nature of Sukuh’s reliefs sets it apart from other sites.
Sukuh Temple, though known to local communities for
centuries, first attracted scholarly attention in 1815 when Resident Johnson of
Surakarta reported its existence. However, it was British colonial
administrator and scholar Thomas Stamford Raffles who popularized the temple in
the Western world with his work The History of Java (1817), where he
provided detailed accounts of the temple’s architecture and carvings. Sukuh
became a focal point for archaeologists and historians interested in the
religious practices of the Majapahit Kingdom.
The dating of Sukuh Temple was further refined by Martha A.
Muusses in her 1923 work De Soekoeh Opschriften, where she decoded the
chronogram (candrasengkala) found in the temple’s inscriptions. Muusses
concluded that Sukuh Temple was built around 1359 Ś (1437 AD), during the
twilight years of the Majapahit Kingdom, shortly before its decline.
Sukuh Temple’s architectural layout and iconography are
steeped in Hindu cosmology. The temple complex consists of three terraces, each
representing a different level of sanctity: nista (the lowest), madya (the
middle), and uttama (the highest). These three levels mirror the stages of the
Hindu universe and the soul’s journey toward spiritual enlightenment.
The nista level is the outermost section, where visitors
encounter a paduraksa gate shaped like an inverted cone, decorated with a kala
mask. Inside the gate, reliefs of male and female genitalia and sexual acts can
be found, symbolizing fertility and creation. Moving upward, visitors ascend
nine steps to reach the madya level, which serves as a transitional space,
leading to the highest point of the temple—the uttama level.
The uttama level is home to the main structure of Sukuh
Temple, known as the Candi Induk Sukuh, which features a stepped terrace
design. A significant detail here is the eight intertwined serpents carved into
the entrance stairs, forming a square shape. At the top of the temple, a hole
once held a large lingga (phallus symbol), now housed in the National Museum.
The temple’s religious significance lies in its association
with the Hindu epic Mahabharata, particularly the figure of Bhima. Bhima, one
of the five Pandava brothers, is a key figure in the temple’s reliefs, with
scenes from the Bhimaswarga (Bhima’s Descent into the Underworld)
depicted throughout the site. Bhima is shown confronting the god Shiva in the
afterlife, seeking to rescue his father from the tortures of hell.
Bhima’s depiction at Sukuh Temple has led to debates among
scholars about the temple’s true purpose. Traditionally, Bhima has been viewed
as a symbol of hypermasculinity, and his presence at the temple was believed to
represent his power to mediate between humans and the gods. Some researchers,
like Hariani Santiko, argue that Sukuh Temple was not merely a site for Bhima
worship but a place for purification rituals, with Bhima serving as a guide to
the divine. The temple’s use of water, as evidenced by an inscription above the
Sudhamala relief, suggests that purification through sacred water was an
integral part of the temple’s religious practice.
The Sudhamala story, which depicts Bhima’s heroic efforts to
purify the goddess Durga, further reinforces the temple’s connection to
purification rituals. Sudhamala is closely tied to the Javanese tradition of ruwat
(ritual purification), where water plays a central role in cleansing both the
physical and spiritual body.
Sukuh Temple’s unique blend of erotic imagery, fertility
symbols, and religious iconography makes it a fascinating and complex site for
understanding Hindu spirituality in the late Majapahit period. While its sexual
imagery has garnered significant attention, its true significance lies in its
role as a place of ritual purification and spiritual enlightenment.
The temple’s striking architecture, intricate carvings, and
association with important Hindu figures like Bhima and Shiva offer a glimpse
into the religious practices of ancient Java. Through its symbolism and the
rituals that were likely performed there, Sukuh Temple provides valuable
insight into the evolving spiritual landscape of the Majapahit Empire, and its
place as a center for both fertility and purification rituals. As research
continues, Sukuh Temple remains a fascinating site for scholars seeking to
understand the complexities of religious expression in pre-modern Southeast
Asia.
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