Neak Pean is one of the temples that make one dream of the olden days of luxury and beauty. It was worth while to the overpowering temples of Siva that men and armies repaired; but it was at the tiny temple of Neak Pean that eager princesses laid their lovely offerings of wrought gold and pungent perfumes.

Prasat Neak Pean is located in the east of Prah Khan, 300 meters (984 feet) from the road.

A enter and leave from the north entrance. It was built in second half of the 12^th century by king Jayavarman VII, dedicated to Buddhist, with following to Prasat Bayon art style.

BACKGROUND

Although. Neak Pean is small and a collection of five ponds, it is worth a visit for its unique features. It is believed to have been consecrated to Buddha coning to the glory of Nivana.

The central pond is a replica of Lake Anavatapta in the Himalayas, situated at the top of the universe. The lake gives birth to the four great rivers of the earth. These rivers are represented at Neak Pean by sculpted gargoyles corresponding to the four cardinal points Lake Anavatapta was fed by hot springs and venerated in India for the curative powers of its waters. The orientation of the ponds at Neak Pean ensured that the water was always fresh because the pods received only reflected light.

LAYOUT
Neak Pean is a large square man-made pond (70 meters, 230 feet each side) bordered by steps and surrounded by four smaller ponds. A small circular island with a stepped base of seven laterite tiers is in the center of the large square pond. Small elephants sculpted in the round originally stood on the four comers. The central tower was dedicated to Avalokitesvara.

CENTRAL ISLAND
The bodies of two serpents encircle the base of the island and their entwine on… Neak Pean-the last word being pronounced , and the whole name signifies curved Nagas. Neak Pean is one of the temples that makes one dream of the olden days of luxury and beauty. It was worth while to live then and to be a woman among a race which has waver adored its women.

It is to the overpowering temple of Civa that men and armies repaired, but it was at the tiny temple of Neak Pean that eager princesses laid their lovely offerings of wrought gold and pungent perfumes…Fancy it as it was in the old days. To begin with there was the artificial lake, a wide extent of water in the shallows of which floated the flowering lotus.

In its exact center, the surveyors of Angkor were expert stood the exquisite miniature temple of one small chamber, the sanctuary, a temple as finely ornate and as well-proportioned as an alabaster vase.

With art delicious this wonder was made to appear like a vision in the land of faerie. It floated upon a full-opened flower of the lotus, the petal tips curling back to touch the water. On the corolla of the flower curved around the temple’s base, were two Nagas whose tails were twisted together at the back and who raised their fan of heads on either side of the steps in front which mounted to the sanctuary. Thus they guarded the gem and gave gracious welcome to whosoever directed her light barque to draw close to this lovely heaven. On this circular pedestal of poetic imagination rested a square temple with four carved doors, one open occupying all the fasade except for the square columns which flank it.

Above rose the tower with pointed over-door groups of carvings, symbolic, graceful, inspiring Each closed door bore the figure of the humane god Vishnu standing at full height,but lest he impress too strongly his grandeur in this dainty spot, the space about him is filled with minor carving which vary on each door.

Within this lovely casket was a seated stone figure. The door was ever open, suppliants might at any time lay before Buddha their offerings and their prayers.

The chamber was too small to admit them and they stood without in a bending group, swaying toward the Naga-heads for support or salaaming gracious salutations to the god of peaceful meditation. The golden boat floating beside the approach again… Rowers moved the shallop so slowly that the Naga-prow seemed to progress of its own volition. And so, the gods appeased, the spirits rose, and life went happily in the lovely twilight hour…one must know its former state to love it. Neak Pean stands hidden, but it stands in greater perfection than if it had not had not had the enveloping.

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BAKSEI CHAMKRONG TEMPLE - Trip Today 168

BAKSEI CHAMKRONG TEMPLE - Trip Today 168

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PRE RUP TEMPLE

Three towers on the Eastern entrance

Name

Pre Rup

Date

961

King

Rajendravarman II

Location

South of the East baray
About 6 kilometers East of Angkor Thom

Nearby

East Mebon

The Pre Rup was the state temple of King Rajendravarman II. It is a mountain temple build in the year 961, located just South of the large East baray and the East Mebon, another mountain temple build by Rajendravarman II just 9 years earlier.

In the early 20^th century the Pre Rup had been completely overgrown and covered with soil. The temple was excavated during the 1930’s by French conservators George Trouvé and Henri Marchal.

Stepped pyramid representing Mount Meru

Its architectural style is very similar to that of the earlier East Mebon, the major difference being the stepped pyramid of the Pre Rup that is missing in the East Mebon temple. The laterite and brick structure represents the five mountain peaks of the sacred mountain Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Hindu mythology.

An inscription in the temple mentions that the five prangs were dedicated to Shiva (central tower and one of the surrounding towers), Vishnu, Parvati (the consort of Shiva) and Lakshmi (the consort of Vishnu).

The temple used to be surrounded by moats. There are two enclosures, each with agopura entrance gate at the center of each side. Between the outer and inner enclosure were long halls of which not much remains today. They were a predecessor of the galleries seen in later temples.

6 large towers to the East

Most striking feature of the Pre Rup temple are the three large towers on either side of the Eastern entrance, the main entrance of the temple. The first tower to the right of the entrance is missing, although the base is there. The tower was either never build or demolished and the stones used elsewhere later. The towers were probably build later during the reign of the next King, King Jayavarman V.

The central tower contains a sanctuary room. The lintels contain Indra riding the elephant Airavata, Vishnu on Garuda (a large mythological bird, the mount of Vishnu) and other depictions.

Inner enclosure

Just past the Eastern gate of the inner enclosure are two large libraries, one on each side of the entrance that probably contained Hindu statues. Between the two libraries is a three meter long structure, that likely served as a pediment for a statue, possibly of Nandi, the sacred bull and mount of Shiva. In the North East corner of the inner enclosure is a small laterite building that has been restored.

Sculpted door

Pyramid temple

Three stepped pyramid

The inner enclosure contains a three tiered pyramid. On the pyramid’s second level are 12 small sanctuaries grouped around the structure that each used to contain a linga, a representation of Shiva. At the center of each side of the pyramid is a stairway leading to the platform with the five towers. The stairway is guarded on both sides by lion statues.

5 Prangs on the upper platform

The upper platform contains five prangs, the largest one in the center, the outer four smaller ones on the platform’s corners. Each have an entrance door to the East and false doors to the other directions. Originally the towers were fully plastered, some of which still remains. A few devata statues decorate its outer walls.

The lintels contain several depictions, but are in a bad state of repair. The central prang contains a sanctuary room where the most important linga was enshrined. It now contains two Buddha images that were installed there later.

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EAST MEBON Mountain temple in the center of the East baray

Sanctuaries on East Mebon platform

Name

East Mebon

Date

952

King

Rajendravarman II

Location

In the center of the East baray, East of Angkor Thom

Nearby

Prasat Pre Rup

The East Mebon is a mountain temple dedicated to Shiva build by King Rajendravarman II halfway the 10^th century. It was constructed on a man made 120 meters wide island in the East Baray, a huge water reservoir measuring 2 by 7 kilometers, and was only reachable by boat.

The baray, which is now dry, was named Yasodharatataka at the time, and was located East of Angkor Thom. The East Mebon was not Rajendravarman II’s state temple, that was Pre Rup that was to be build 9 years later, just outside the baray and directly South of the East Mebon.

The temple was restored in the 1930’s by Henri Marchal and Maurice Glaize, two French conservators of Angkor. Its main attraction is its intricate lintels, that are very well preserved and are among the best in Angkor.

Mountain temple dedicated to Shiva

An inscribed stele found at the site states that the sacred linga Sri Rajendreshvara was consecrated in the year 952 and was placed in the central sanctuary. The outer four surrounding sanctuaries were dedicated to Shiva, Parvati (the wife of Shiva), and the Hindu Gods Vishnu and Brahma.

Like the earlier Phnom Bakheng, the temple was build to represent Mount Meru. The five towers on the square platform symbolize the five peaks of the mythological mountain. The East Mebon however does not have the tiers of the pyramid shaped Phnom Bakheng.

Floor plan of the East Mebon

At the center of each of the four sides just outside the outer enclosure are laterite landing platforms for boats. Contained by the outer enclosure wall is the first platform. On each of its corners is an elephant standing guard.

Inner enclosure

The inner enclosure that is about 75 meters wide contains the second platform, that also has a guarding elephant on each of its corners. In the corners of the inner enclosure are five laterite structures called libraries. At the entrance gates to the inner enclosure stand eight sanctuaries, in pairs of two. Each contained a linga in a different form. Its colonettes are sculpted in great detail. The lintels on the gates to the inner enclosure contain very intricate depictions of Vishnu, Indra on the three headed elephant Airavata, lions and elephants.

Elephant standing guard at the East Mebon temple

The central sanctuary

The third level of the East Mebon is the square upper platform with the large central sanctuary surrounded by four smaller sanctuary towers on the corners. The platform is surrounded by a three meter high sandstone wall.

The lintels on the five brick towers show depictions of Indra riding the three headed elephant Airavata, the God Skanda on a peacock, Shiva on his mount the bull Nandi, garudas, nagas, makaras and warrior figures.

The towers have a real door to the East, while there are three fake doors to the other directions. The central tower contains a sanctuary chamber that enshrined the temple’s most important linga.

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BAKSEI CHAMKRONG TEMPLE

Baksei Chamkrong is located in Siem Reap City, Cambodia, This temple is build by Harshavarman I in Early 10th Century (Between Angkor Thom South gate and Phnom Bakheng Nearby Prasat Bei,Phnom Bakheng).

The Baksei Chamkrong is a 10^th century temple found near the Angkor Thom South gate. The very steep pyramidal temple topped with a single prasat tower was built as a Hindu sanctuary dedicated to Shiva.

The name Baksei Chamkrong translates to “the bird that shelters under its wings”.

The temple was built by Harshavarman I in the early 10^th century. Soon after his reign, the capital of the Khmer Kingdom was moved to Koh Kher, North of Angkor. The temple was completed and dedicated in the year 948 by King Rajendravarman II, after the capital had been moved back to Angkor.

Stepped pyramid

East of the temple are the remains of a brick wall and a gopura that was guarded by lions. A few steps and a single guardian lion are all that remain today. The stepped pyramid consists of four laterite tiers of diminishing size. The lowest tier measures 27 meters long, the 4^th tier 15 meters. The square, symmetrical structure reaches a height of 13 meters. Four very steep staircases at the center of the pyramid lead to the upper platform with the prasat.

The Khmer used certain building techniques to make the temple look taller than it actually is. The stairway narrows towards the top, while the height of each tier is smaller than that of the one below it, thus creating a perception of increased size.

Platform with a single prasat

Atop the fourth tier is a small platform with a single prasat. The brick tower has one real door opening to the East, the other ends have false doors. Most of the decoration on the exterior of the prasat has disappeared, though the shape of sculpted devatas can still be seen. The sandstone lintel over the Eastern doorway contains a carving of Indra on the three headed elephant Airavata, and one of Ganesha.

The doorjamb of the Eastern entrance of the sanctuary tower contains an inscription that provides information about the history of the Baksei Chamkrong temple. The inscription contains praise of several Gods and of King Rajendravarman II, listing his accomplishments. It also tells of the dedication of a golden statue of Shiva in 948. In the back of the cella is a reclining Buddha image of a much later date.

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TA PROHM TEMPLE, CAMBODIA

 29.01.2016 Friday

 TEMPLE IN CAMBODIA

Ta Prohm is the modern name of a temple at Angkor, Ta Prohm Temple is located in Siem Reap City, Cambodia, built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara. Located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university.

Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found. The photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor’s most popular temples with visitors. UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the World Heritage List in 1992. Today, it is one of the most visited complexes in Cambodia’s Angkor region.

The temple of Ta Prohm was also used as a location in the film Tomb Raider.

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TA PROHM TEMPLE

 

Of similar design to the later Jayavarman VII temples of Preah Khan and Banteay

Kdei, this sprawling monastic complex is only partially cleared of jungle overgrowth. Intentionally left partially unrestored, massive fig and silk-cotton trees grow from the towers and corridors offering a ‘jungle atmosphere’ and some of the best ‘tree-in-temple’ photo opportunities at Angkor. Ta Prohm is well worth an extended exploration of its dark corridors and open plazas. This temple was one of Jayavarman VII's first major temple projects. Ta Prohm was dedicated to his mother. (Preah Khan, built shortly in the same general style, was dedicated to Jayavarman VII’s father.) Ta Prohm was originally constructed as a Buddhist monastery and was enormously wealthy in its time, boasting of control over 3000 villages, thousands of support staff and vast stores of jewels and gold. Of the monastic complex style temples, Ta Prohm is a superior example and should be included in almost any temple itinerary. .

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BAYON TEMPLE

The Bayon, is the exact centre of the town of Angkor Thom. Having to power after the burning of the capital by a Cham fleet, he rebuilt the city and surrounded it with a strong wall. This rampart constitutes the outer enclosure of the Bayon, it is a wide, provided the earth for the enormous embankment which support it, and makes a boulevard 25m wide, with four little temples at the corners, called "Prasat Chrung": the north-east one which is the best preserved, can be reached after charming walk along the top of the rampart in the thick forest.

The surrounding wall is opened up by five gates, 4 on the axis of the Bayon, the fifth is in the axis of Phimeanakas and the second Angkor. These entrances are splendid examples of carving in the very spirit of the Bayon; their mass is carried by enormous elephants with three heads and with trunks touching the ground in the act of picking lotuses. Above, the structure of triple tower makes the great faces of Avalokiteçvara, casting this benevolent gaze in all directions. The doors have lost their façades and have the appearance of pointed bows, before they were high rectangular bays 7 meter by 3. 50 meter strengthened with powerful leaves. The road which crosses the moat was decorated with two imposing balustrades; the churning serpent drawn by devils at the right (on entering) and by Gods on the left.

The central sanctuary is a huge mass, the dark centre of which is surrounded by a narrow corridor. The excavation of G. Trouvé brought it to light. It is a fine big statue of Buddha sitting on the coils of Naga and in the shelter of his head; it can be seen, re-installed on a terrace, on the right hand side of the avenue leads to the victory gate.

The bas-reliefs on the outer wall (160m 140m) and on the inner gallery differ completely and seem to belong to two different worlds. On the outside is the world of men, of events in history which might actually have taken place, and on the inside is the epic world of gods and legends. Many of legendary scenes are found repeatedly on Cambodian monuments and can be easily recognized. A number of the historical events pictured by the sculptors have also been identified since the correct dating of the Bayon in the 12th century directed research to the history of that time.

The faces ornamenting the towers, which are also found on the gates of Angkor Thom, of Ta Prohm, of Banteay Kdei and of great Banteay Chmar, are certainly the features which most impress the visitors.

Louis Finot formulated a theory (in 1911) that the towers at the Bayon, with somewhat phallic form, were enormous Lingas sculptured with faces, sheltering those worshipped in the shrines inside. This theory was based on the certain belief that the Bayon was a Hindu temple dedicated to Siva. But this theory had to be abandoned when the pediment representing Lokeçvara was discovered, a pediment which had formerly been hidden be the central mass. This indicated that the original and basic character of the Bayon was a Buddhist temple. The faces were certainly Buddhist and probably represented the compassionate Bodhisattva.

Even the archaeologists of the Ecole Français were not able to decide immediately whether the heads on the Bayon were Brahma, Siva or Buddha. The distinctions which clearly different: Brahma: the creator of the universe; Siva spreads blessings on every region in space; Buddha of the Great Miracle duplicates himself infinity; and Lokeçvara faces in all directions. The spirit behind these Indian divinities, which the architect tried to represent, was not so much a real being or individual, but an abstraction.

Pierre Loti: grasped this with the remarkable perception of a poet: from on high, the four faces on each of these towers face the four cardinal points, looking out in every direction from beneath lowered eyelids. Each face has the same ironic expression of pity, the same smile. The multiplication of these faces to the four cardinal points symbolizes the idea that the Royal power is blessing the four quarters of the Kingdom. As for the repetition of these faces on every tower. The idols worshipped in the chapels inside the towers were statues of deified princes or dignitaries or else of local Gods. Each tower corresponded to a province of the Kingdom or at least to a religious or administrative centre of the province. Thus if the four faces symbolizes the Royal power spreading over the land in every direction, placing them over the chapel which was typical of each province signified that: the king Jayavarman VII's Royal power was as strong in the province as at Angkor itself. This accounted for having a four-faced tower to represent each part of the Kingdom. We now begin to understand this mysterious architecture as the symbol of the Great Miracle of Jayavarman VII. It represents his administrative and religious  power extending to every corner of Cambodian territory by mean of this unique sign.

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PHNOM BAKHENG TEMPLE

Phnom Bakheng (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភ្នំបាខែង) at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu and Buddhist temple in the form of a temple mountain.[1]:103 Dedicated to Shiva, it was built at the end of the 9th century, during the reign of King Yasovarman (889-910). Located atop a hill, it is nowadays a popular tourist spot for sunset views of the much bigger temple Angkor Wat, which lies amid the jungle about 1.5 km to the southeast. The large number of visitors makes Phnom Bakheng one of the most threatened monuments of Angkor. [1] Since 2004, World Monuments Fund has been working to conserve the temple in partnership with APSARA.

Constructed more than two centuries before Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng was in its day the principal temple of the Angkor region, historians believe. It was the architectural centerpiece of a new capital, Yasodharapura, that Yasovarman built when he moved the court from the capital Hariharalaya in the Roluos area located to the southeast.[1]:112–113

An inscription dated 1052 AD and found at the Sdok Kak Thom temple in present-day Thailand states in Sanskrit: "When Sri Yasovardhana became king under the name of Yasovarman, the able Vamasiva continued as his guru. By the king's order, he set up a linga on Sri Yasodharagiri, a mountain equal in beauty to the king of mountains."[2] Scholars believe that this passage refers to the consecration of the Phnom Bakheng temple approximately a century and a half earlier.[1]:112

Surrounding the mount and temple, labor teams built an outer moat. Avenues radiated out in the four cardinal directions from the mount. A causeway ran in a northwest-southeast orientation from the old capital area to the east section of the new capital's outer moat and then, turning to an east-west orientation, connected directly to the east entrance of the temple.[3]

Phnom Bakheng is a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods, a status emphasized by the temple’s location atop a steep hill 65 m above the surrounding plain. The temple is built in a pyramid form of seven levels, representing the seven heavens.[4]:355,358–360 At the top level, five sandstone sanctuaries, in various states of repair, stand in a quincunx pattern—one in the center and one at each corner of the level’s square. Originally, 108 small towers were arrayed around the temple at ground level and on various of its tiers; most of them have collapsed.[5]

Jean Filliozat of the Ecole Francaise, a leading western authority on Indian cosmology and astronomy, interpreted the symbolism of the temple. The temple sits on a rectangular base and rises in five levels and is crowned by five main towers. One hundred four smaller towers are distributed over the lower four levels, placed so symmetrically that only 33 can be seen from the center of any side. Thirty-three is the number of gods who dwelt on Mount Meru. Phnom Bakheng's total number of towers is also significant. The center one represents the axis of the world and the 108 smaller ones represent the four lunar phases, each with 27 days. The seven levels of the monument represent the seven heavens and each terrace contains 12 towers which represent the 12-year cycle of Jupiter. According to University of Chicago scholar Paul Wheatley, it is "an astronomical calendar in stone." [6]

Phnom Bakheng is one of three hilltop temples in the Angkor region that are attributed to Yasovarman's reign. The other two are Phnom Krom to the south near the Tonle Sap lake, and Phnom Bok, northeast of the East Baray reservoir.[1]:113

Following Angkor's rediscovery by the outside world in the mid-19th century, decades passed before archeologists grasped Phnom Bakheng's historical significance. For many years, scholars' consensus view was that the Bayon, the temple located at the center of Angkor Thom city, was the edifice to which the Sdok Kak Thom inscription referred. Later work identified the Bayon as a Buddhist site, built almost three centuries later than originally thought, in the late 12th century, and Phnom Bakheng as King Yasovarman's state temple.[1]:112

Sun set of Phnom Bakheng

Later in its history, Phnom Bakheng was converted into a Buddhist temple. A monumental Sitting Buddha, now lost, was created on its upper tier. Across its west side, a Reclining Buddha of similar scale was crafted in stone. The outlines of this figure are still visible.

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ANGKOR WAT TEMPLE

Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. UNESCO has set up a wide-ranging programme to safeguard this symbolic site and its surroundings.

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BAPHUON TEMPLE

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Constructed : Mid 11th century, 1060Temple Baphuon
Religion : Hindu
Temple Style : Baphuon
King Built : Udayadityavarman II ? 1050 – 1066 ?
Location : Angkor Thom, by leaving Bayon, on the left before arriving at the terrace of the elephants.

Description : Baphuon is a huge temple-mountained located in the heart of Angkor Thom. Temple was built by Udayadityarvarman II was the most poorly constructed of all the temples in Angkor. From the remaining ruins, it is possible to see how imposing it was. This temple hill was dedicated to Shiva, but in its reliefs many motives from the Vishnu epic can be seen. Restoration work continues to be carried out on the Baphuon.

Baphuon is a little frustrating to pass in front of such a monument and not to be able to visit it. One of the center pieces of Angkor Thom, Baphuon is currently closed with the public for restoration and surely still for a long time. You can just make the turn of it. It is about an enormous work: a puzzle of more than 300.000 stones scattered on several hectares and of which some weigh several tons! Each stone is numbered and recorded in files burned during the war! The work which was stopped in 1970 consists today with all to reconstitute and the result should be equal to the challenge to be judged some by what is already visible.

It will thus be necessary to wait a certain time to have to be able to admire gigantic Buddha lying which is inside. This temple-mountain of which the sight in its top is, appears it, exceptional, was to be the central temple of second Angkor , intermediate stage between Phnom Bakheng and Bayon. What is presented today as an immense building site should become a major temple to visit after the end of work.

Temple Detail : The big temple where the court is located immediately on south side. Presently, France undertaking restoration, the large-sized crane is moving. As for being possible to visit, entering from Toumon, to the point of the aerial going/participating road ending. The inner part from that, it has become off limit. Because of that, walking outer circle generally, the back (west side) it turns, it means to return looking at the sleeping form of the explanation/releasing.

sourced:cambodia-tourism.org

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