By this time, Javanese religion and art had diverged from Indian precepts that had been so influential on temple styles during the 8th-10th century. This area was the last significant area of temple building in Java before the island's courts were converted to Islam in the 16th century. The temples' distinctiveness and the lack of records of Javanese ceremonies and beliefs of the era make it difficult for historians to interpret the significance of these antiquities.

It is close to Sukuh temple.

The temple complex is used by locals and Hindu pilgrims as a place of worship. This temple is also a place of meditation for adherents of the native Javanese/ Kejawen beliefs .

Discovery

The first scientific report on Ceto Temple was made by Van de Vlies in 1842. [ 1 ] AJ Bernet Kempers also conducted research on it. Excavation for the purpose of reconstruction and discovery of buried objects was first carried out in 1928 by the Dutch East Indies Archaeological Service ( Commissie vor Oudheiddienst ) . Based on its condition when the ruins began to be studied, this temple is estimated to be not much different in age from Sukuh Temple , which is quite close in location.

History of the temple complex

When it was discovered, the condition of this temple was a stone ruin on 14 terraces/tiered punden, extending from the west (lowest) to the east, although at present there are only 13 terraces, and restoration has been carried out on only nine terraces. Its terraced structure (" punden berundak ") raises the suspicion of syncretism of the original Indonesian culture with Hinduism. This suspicion is strengthened by the iconographic aspect . The shape of the human body on the reliefs resembles a shadow puppet , with the face looking sideways but the body tends to look frontal. Similar depictions, which show characteristics of the late Hindu-Buddhist historical period, are found at Sukuh Temple.

The restoration in the late 1970s carried out unilaterally by Sudjono Humardani, the personal assistant of Suharto (the second president of Indonesia), changed many of the original structures of the temple although the concept of the terraced punden was maintained. This restoration was widely criticized by archaeologists , considering that the restoration of an ancient site cannot be done without in-depth study. Some of the new objects resulting from the restoration that are considered not original are the magnificent gate at the front of the complex, wooden buildings for hermitages, statues attributed to Sabdapalon , Nayagenggong , Brawijaya V , and phallus , and the cube building at the top of the punden.

Furthermore, the Regent of Karanganyar for the 2003–2008 period, Rina Iriani , with the reason of enlivening religious enthusiasm around the temple, placed the statue of Goddess Saraswati , a donation from Gianyar Regency , in the eastern part of the temple complex, on a higher punden than the cube building.

Building arrangement

In its state since the renovation, the Ceto Temple complex consists of nine terraced levels. Before the large gate in the form of a split temple , visitors find two pairs of guardian statues. The first level after the entrance gate (i.e. the third terrace) is the temple courtyard. The second level is still a courtyard. On the third level there is a hermitage of Ki Ageng Krincingwesi, the ancestor of the Ceto Hamlet community.

Before entering the fifth level (seventh terrace), on the right wall of the gate there is an inscription (writing on stone) in Old Javanese script in Old Javanese language that reads pelling padamel irikang buku tirtasunya hawakira ya Hilang Saka Kalanya Wiku Goh Anaut Iku 1397. [ 1 ] This writing is interpreted as the function of the temple to purify oneself (ruwat) and mentions the year the gate was built, namely 1397 Saka or 1475 AD. On the seventh terrace there is a horizontal stone arrangement on the ground surface depicting a giant turtle, Surya Majapahit (suspected to be the symbol of Majapahit), and a 2-meter long phallus symbol ( penis , male genitalia) equipped with ampallang - type piercing decoration . The turtle is a symbol of the creation of the universe while the penis is a symbol of the creation of humans. There are depictions of other animals, such as mimi , frogs , and crabs . The animal symbols present can be read as Suryasengkala dated 1373 Saka, or 1451 AD. It can be interpreted that this temple complex was built in stages or through several renovations.

On the next level, you can find rows of stones on two adjacent plains that contain reliefs of excerpts from the story of Sudamala , as is also found in Sukuh Temple . This story is still popular among Javanese people as the basis for the ruwatan ceremony . The next two levels contain pendapa buildings that flank the entrance to the temple. Until now, these pendapa are used as places for religious ceremonies. On the seventh level, you can find two statues on the north and south sides. On the north side is the Sabdapalon statue and on the south is Nayagenggong , two semi-mythical figures (many believe that they are actually the same figure) who are believed to be servants and spiritual advisors of Sang Prabu Brawijaya V.

On the eighth level there is a phallus statue (called "kuntobimo") on the north side and a statue of Sang Prabu Brawijaya V in the form of a great god . Worship of the phallus statue symbolizes an expression of gratitude and hope for the abundant fertility of the local earth. The last level (ninth) is the highest level as a place for prayer climbing. Here there is a cube-shaped stone building.

At the top of the Ceto Temple complex there is a building that in the past was used as a place to cleanse oneself before carrying out a ritual worship ceremony (patirtan). In the northeast of the temple building, by going down the slope, a temple building complex was found which is now called the Kethek Temple ("Monkey Temple").

Attractiveness

The attraction itself is in the form of architecture that has an art, it can be used by visitors to be used as a photo background. It will certainly add a beautiful and enchanting impression if taking pictures in the temple area, especially if the person taking the photo has their own skills.

What will add to its beauty is the Cetho Temple which is located on a height or mountain making the view given also very beautiful. In addition, visitors who come to the Cetho Temple tourist attraction also want to learn about the history and also calm the mind by breathing the fresh air typical of the mountains that will make you feel more at home.

The entrance ticket price itself is very affordable, namely the management charges a ticket price of IDR 10,000 for each visitor who wants to enter the Cetho Temple area.