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Renovation begins on damaged Sukuh temple

The Central Java Cultural Heritage Preservation Center (BPCB) has started renovations on the Sukuh Temple, which was first discovered in 1815, and has been damaged since 1980, an official has said

Kusumasari Ayuningtyas (The Jakarta Post)
Surakarta
Sun, June 28, 2015

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Renovation begins on damaged Sukuh temple

T

he Central Java Cultural Heritage Preservation Center (BPCB) has started renovations on the Sukuh Temple, which was first discovered in 1815, and has been damaged since 1980, an official has said.

'€œThe damage has been accumulating. The temple'€™s condition is now dangerous so we have prioritized renovating this year,'€ the center'€™s renovation working group head and renovation coordinator Sudarno said in Surakarta on Sunday

The temple, which is located on the slopes of Mount Lawu in Karanganyar, is reported to have sunk by around 20 centimeter on its north-eastern side. Parts of the temple on its south-western side have expanded while stone structures on the stairs of Sukuh Temple'€™s main building have stretched.

Sudarno said the renovation would be followed by the removal of some parts of the temple for archaeological research.

The temple that was found two centuries ago has a pyramid-like structure, the inside parts of which have remained unknown.

'€œSince it was first discovered, we have only predicted what is inside the center part of the temple. Does it contain soil or stones?'€ said Sudarno.

He said it was predicted that the renovation would take around two years. In the first year, renovation work would be focused on removing and researching temple parts, which would be installed again the following year.

Sudarno said Sukuh Temple'€™s renovation would get a Rp 941 million (US$70,575) funding allocation from the state budget through the Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry.

'€œIt'€™s just a prediction because it has often happened that archaeological research takes a longer time than expected,'€ he said.

A joint team comprising renovation experts from the BPCB Central Java, Borobudur Temple conservation experts, University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) archaeologists, UGM building structure experts and geologists from the National Development University (UPN) of Yogyakarta, have been conducting the renovation since June 18. (ebf)(++++)

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