Sukuh Temple is located on the western side of the mountain Lawu, precisely in Berjo village, Ngargoyoso, Karanganyar regency. Sukuh temple is at an altitude of 910 meters above sea level. Sukuh was found in a collapsed state in 1815 by Johnson, a resident of Surakarta reigned by Raffles. Then Sukuh was studied by Van Der Vlis in 1842, and Van der Vlis reported the results with the book title Prove Eener Beschrijten Soekoeh op en Tjeto. Research temple was followed by Hoepermans from 1864 until 1867 and reported in his book Hindoe Oudheiden van Java. Later in 1889, Verbeek held Sukuh inventory of the temple and continued with research by WF Stutterheim and Knebel in 1910.
Sukuh temple was built in the late 15th century AD. The architecture of Sukuh slightly deviated from the provisions of guidelines in the book manufacturing the Hindu shrine of Wastu Widya. According to the rules, the temple should be laid on a square base with the holiest place in the middle. Irregularities allegedly caused Sukuh to build during the waning influence of Hinduism in Java. It seems to revive the local cultural elements of the Megalithic era. The effect seen from the prehistoric era building form is Sukuh terraces. The structure of temples like Punden building terraces is characteristic of sacred buildings in pre-Hindu. Another distinctive feature shrine of pre-Hindu is the holiest place situated very high.
Supposedly, experts, Sukuh was built for the purpose, of deterring bad forces that affect a person's life due to certain characteristics they have. The assumption is based on the reliefs containing re-care stories, such as Sudamala and Garudheya, statues of turtles, and eagles contained in Sukuh temple.