Thai Foreign Ministry assesses Phra Viharn's ruling

BANGKOK, Oct 14 – The Thai Foreign Ministry will release a documentary on the Phra Viharn temple later this year, in advance of a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over Thai-Cambodian dispute on an area adjacent to the Hindu temple, a senior official said today.

Sihasak Phuangketkeow, permanent secretary for foreign affairs, said members of the Thai ad hoc committee on Phra Viharn case, including Thai ambassador to The Hague, Virachai Plasai, in his capacity as the Thai agent, met today to discuss development of the case.

It is unlikely that the ICJ will give its judgement on the case before January but Thailand is ready for the decision no matter how the outcome will be, he said.

Cambodia has sought the ICJ’s revision of the 1962 judgement which ruled that the Phra Viharn temple belonged to Cambodia but no decision was made on the region surrounding the temple.

Mr Virachai said there are four possibilities for the ICJ’s ruling: the ICJ maintains it has no authority to consider the case, the ICJ decides in favour of Cambodia, the ICJ decides in favour of Thailand, and the ICJ gives a non-committal decision.

He said today’s meeting touched on the possibilities of the ICJ’s decision and Thailand’s preparedness to deal with the judgement.

Whatever the ICJ’s decision, Thai-Cambodian relations must be unaffected, he said.

Mr Virachai said Thailand has formed a national mechanism to discuss with Cambodia and create understanding among the Thai people.

The situation along the Thai-Cambodian border does not requirement any military reinforcement, he added.

Nuttavudh Photisaro, deputy permanent secretary for foreign affairs, said the Foreign Ministry has entered the second phase of creating understanding among Thai people on the Phra Viharn case.

The first phase was during the oral hearing at the ICJ in April and the second involves workshops and distribution of information via booklets and website to provide explanations to people in northern and northeastern provinces opposite Cambodia, including Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket and Surin, he said. (MCOT online news)

East Mebon

Mountain temple in the center of the East baray

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 10th 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.

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.

Bayon

Temple of the mysterious stone face towers

Name               Bayon, Prasat Bayon
Date                 Late 12th, early 13th century
King                 Jayavarman VII
Location            In the center of Angkor Thom
Nearby              Royal Palace, Phimeanakas, Baphuon

The Bayon was the state temple of King Jayavarman VII, built at the end of the 12th century. It is a mountain temple built to represent Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology.

The King had the temple constructed in the center of Angkor Thom, the 9 km2 large capital city of the Khmer empire. Four roads from the four entrance gopuras of Angkor Thom lead directly to the temple.

Unlike most Khmer temples, the Bayon is not surrounded by a moat and walls with gopura entrance gates. Archeologists believe that instead the moat and walls of Angkor Thom served as the temple’s line of defense.
Buddhist temple with separate shrines for Vishnu and Shiva

The Bayon was built as a Buddhist temple. A statue of the main idol, a seated Buddha image sheltered under the hoods of the snake Mucalinda, was discovered in a pit under the main shrine. A few decades after the death of King Jayavarman VII, the temple was turned into a Hindu temple when King Jayavarman VIII reverted the official Khmer religion back to Hinduism; images of the Buddha were destroyed or turned into Hindu images.

Although the Bayon was a Buddhist temple, other Gods were also worshipped. Separate shrines were dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva, while countless other deities were worshipped.

The Bayon is best known for the mysterious faces on its many towers. Due to its many alterations over time, the structure is of a very complicated design and has a cluttered feel, with the many towers and other structures cramping the monument. The Bayon has three enclosures. The galleried 3rd and 2nd enclosure, and the inner enclosure, which contains the 3rd floor platform with the central sanctuary.

Two concentric galleries are sculpted with bas reliefs. The inner galleries contain mainly religious and mythological scenes, while the outer galleries mainly show historical events, battles and scenes from daily life.

At some point the temple was deserted and became overgrown by thick jungle. Clearing of the monument was done in the 1910’s. The face towers and the central sanctuary were restored by the EFEO in the 1940’s using the anastylosis method. Since the end of the 20th century, the Japanese Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor (JSA) maintains the monument.

 The Bayon’s face towers

The Bayon is best known for its large number of serene faces sculpted on its towers. Originally there were 49 towers, decorated with large carved faces looking into each of the four cardinal directions. Close to 200 faces, the largest ones being almost 2½ meters high, decorate the 37 remaining towers of the first and second enclosure. While most towers contain four faces, some only have three, and one tower only bears a single face, probably due to a lack of space.

Initially the faces were believed to represent Brahma, the Hindu God of creation depicted with four heads. When it was later established that the Bayon was not a Hindu temple but a Buddhist one, archeologists believed the faces to be of Lokeshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. The similarity of statues of Jayavarman VII and the face towers had led some to believe that it is the King himself whose face is depicted on the towers.
Approach from the East

Approaching the Bayon from the East is a large terrace with guardian lions and Naga balustrades. To the left and right of the terrace used to be large pools, the remains of which can still be seen. A cruciform gopura gives entrance to the third enclosure.
The third enclosure

The third enclosure measures 160 meters long by 140 meters wide. It consists of galleries with 4 pavilions at the corners and 4 gopura entrance gates at the center of each side. The pillars of the galleries are decorated with a great number of dancing Apsaras.

The 3rd enclosure outer galleries contain extensive sculpted bas reliefs, mainly depicting scenes of historical events, battles and scenes from daily life in Angkor. They provide a good source of information about historical events and the way Angkor people lived at the late 12th to early 13th century. Inside the third enclosure, on either side of the Eastern entrance gopura is a library building.
The second enclosure

The second enclosure measures 80 meters long by 70 meters wide. They consist of corner galleries and inner galleries built on different levels. Its corner towers and intermediate towers are decorated with large faces of Lokeshvara. The bas reliefs sculpted on the galleries contain mainly Hindu religious and mythological scenes.

The circular, narrow and rather dark inner galleries were likely built first. The inner galleries contained a large number of sculptings of the Buddha. Only a few have survived. Most of them were destroyed or turned into Shavite images during the Hindu reaction of Jayavarman VIII in the 13th century. Built around the inner galleries, the rectangular corner galleries are at a lower level than the inner galleries. They were probably added later.
The first enclosure

The first enclosure consists of the 3rd floor platform holding the central sanctuary. Like the 2nd enclosure, the images of the Buddha have been destroyed or turned into Shavite images.

The central sanctuary that has a 5 meter diameter is accessed on the East through a number of chambers and vestibules. On either side is a structure, that might have been libraries. Around the circular central sanctuary are eight sanctuary towers bearing sculpted faces, forming the circular first enclosure. Around it are four satellite sanctuaries. The Western sanctuary is dedicated to Vishnu, the Northern one to Shiva. Next to each of them, on the 2nd floor is a structure that might have been a library. The Southern sanctuary is dedicated to the Buddha.

During excavation works of the central sanctuary, a large broken Buddha image was discovered in a pit under the sanctuary. The 3.60 meter high image in the meditation mudra is seated on the coiled body of the snake Mucalinda, sheltered by its hood. The image has been restored and is now enshrined in a pavilion at a Buddhist terrace named Vihear Prampil Loveng, along the way from the Royal Palace East to the Victory gate.

Outer bas relief galleries

The outer bas relief galleries found on the third enclosure mostly depict historical events, battles and events that took place during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. Archeologists obtained a wealth of information about Angkor history from the scenes shown here. In several sections of the outer galleries carvings have been left unfinished. Among the many reliefs are:

    The shop house of a Chinese merchant, the merchant is seen in a business meeting with other Chinese people
    A Khmer army procession on the way to the battlefield to fight the Cham army. Several scenes: The King riding a horse, generals on elephants, the ark of the sacred flame, princesses in palanquins, musicians, soldiers on foot or horseback, soldiers lying dead on the ground, fighting scenes, Cham foot soldiers and Cham generals on elephants retreating
    War scenes showing various weapons used at the time: elephants armed with large crossbows operated by two men, a catapult on wheels
    Palace scenes: The King in his Palace with the Queen, princesses, servants, men playing a game of chess
    Scenes of daily life: Shops, markets with food stalls, fishermen with nets, hunters aiming their arrows at animals, women cooking food
    A naval battle on the great lake (Tonle Sap) where the Chams are defeated by the Khmer: battleships, the men armed with bows and shields, Cham soldiers are thrown overboard and eaten by crocodiles

Inner bas relief galleries

The inner bas relief galleries on the second enclosure depict mainly religious and mythological scenes. Among the many reliefs are:

    A Palace scene with a King, the Queen, princesses, musicians and dancers
    Priests in a temple
    A Royal procession with army commanders on elephants, infantry soldiers, the King on an elephant, musicians, princesses carried in a palanquin
    Several scenes telling the story of the Leper King: The King is crowned in his Palace, the King fighting a snake attracts leprosy, the King shows his hands with bites, the King giving orders to servants, the King lying sick in bed surrounded by women
    Ravana shaking mount Kailash
    A Royal procession to a temple. Over 10 scenes: A King in the Palace, the King leaving the Palace in a chariot, procession to the temple, an elephant carrying the Royal bow and arrows, the King praying to Shiva, pictures of a temple, offerings to the Gods
    The churning of the Oceans of milk. Several scenes: a meeting of Brahmans, the Asuras and Devas pulling and pushing the serpent Vasuki, the ocean and the churning rod, a container to hold the elixir of immortality
    Vishnu and Garuda in a battle scene
    The Hindu Gods Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma

Bakong First of Angkor’s large mountain temples

Name                 Bakong
Date                   881
King                   Indravarman I
Location             Village of Roluos, just South of National Highway 6
Nearby               Preah Ko, Prasat Prei Monti

The Bakong is the first of the large mountain temples in Angkor. It belongs to the Roluos group, build at the end of the 9th century.

The Bakong and the other temples of the Roluos group, like the Preah Ko and the Lolei were build in Hariharalaya, an early capital of the Khmer empire. This area is now called Roluos, located North of Tonle Sap lake, about 15 kilometers East of Siem Reap.
State temple of King Indravarman I

The Bakong was build by King Indravarman I, who also build the Preah Ko temple and the huge Indratataka baray, a reservoir where water was stored to be used for irrigation during the dry season.

It was the state temple of King Indravarman I, dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. A stele found at the site states that the Bakong’s main linga named Sri Indresvara was consecrated in the temple in the year 881. The main linga, which is a representation of Shiva, is usually enshrined in the central tower of the Khmer temple.

One of the main attractions of the Bakong temple is its lintels, that contain very intricate, detailed and well preserved carvings of mythical creatures like Nagas and Makaras.
Moats and the first Naga bridges

The Bakong is a sandstone monument enclosed by two moats. The outer enclosure is delimited on each side by a laterite wall with a gopura, an entrance gate with a tower on top of it. Between the inner and outer moat are the remains of 22 brick temple buildings, most of which have collapsed. They contained statues of Vishnu, Shiva and a number of lingas.

The moat outside the inner enclosure is crossed by paved causeways, with huge seven headed Naga snakes on its sides. They are the first examples of Naga bridges, found in many of the later Angkor temples.
Inner enclosure

The inner enclosure contains a five stepped pyramid surrounded by eight brick towers. On top of the pyramid is a single sanctuary tower. In front of the temple on the Eastern entrance are two long halls positioned between two of the surrounding towers. At each of the four corners of the inner enclosure are brick buildings called libraries, although they probably did not contain any scriptures.

Around the pyramid are eight square brick towers, some of which have collapsed. Originally they were plastered on the outside and contained figures of dvarapalas and devatas, a few of which have survived. All towers have a real door the the East, the other three are false doors. The door knobs on the false doors are shaped like lion heads. The lintels in the towers contain some of the finest decorations to be seen in Angkor, with very intricate depictions like Vishnu on top of Garuda, warrior figures, animals and mythological creatures like makaras and Naga snakes.

Five stepped pyramid

The five receding terraces in the inner enclosure in the shape of a stepped pyramid were built to resemble Mount Meru, the sacred mountain in Hindu mythology. The tiers of the pyramid measure 67 by 65 meters at its base and 20 by 18 meters at the fifth tier. At the center of each side is a stairway flanked on either side by guardian lions. The stairway, divided into five parts becomes narrower at each higher level to make the temple look larger than it actually is using perspective.

In front of the stairway is a large entrance gate. Opposite each of the stairs is a statue of Nandi, the sacred bull and mount of Shiva. The corners of the first three tiers contain statues of elephants. All the way around the perimeter of the fifth terrace is a frieze with bas relief sculptings, that have mostly eroded.
Central sanctuary

On top of the pyramid is a single central sanctuary. The tower that completely collapsed was rebuild during the late 1930’s into the early 1940’s by Maurice Glaize, a conservator of Angkor. The restoration was done to resemble the original using the method of anastylosis, which involves reconstructing the monument as near as possible to the original, using the original materials if available.

Judging from the style of the decorations, the original tower was probably build some 200 years later than the rest of the temple. Inside it is a sanctuary chamber, that probably contained the main linga. Niches in the tower contain devata figures, most of which are in a bad state of repair. The pediments of the sanctuary contain several depictions of the Hindu Gods Shiva and Vishnu.

Phimeanakas

Small 3 stepped pyramid temple in the Royal Palace grounds

 

Name            Phimeanakas
Date              Between 950 and 1050
King              Rajendravarman II or Suryavarman I
Location        North West of the Bayon in the city of Angkor Thom
Nearby          Baphuon, Bayon, Royal Palace

The Phimeanakas is a small, laterite Hindu temple in the shape of a three stepped pyramid. The name Phimeanakas translates to “Celestial Palace”. The temple located in the center of the Royal Palace enclosure was used by King Jayavarman VII as his private temple.

Zhou Daguan, the Chinese diplomat who lived in Angkor for a year during the reign of King Jayavarman VII and kept extensive accounts, referred to the Phimeanakas as “the Golden Tower” located in the private living quarters of the King.

Some archeologists believe an older structure existed much earlier at the site of the current structure, since an inscription dated 910 was found that mentions the dedication of a statue of Vishnu. Next to the temple are two pools, that may have been used for bathing or aquatic sports events.
Entrance gopura

The temple is oriented towards the East. The main entrance consists of a gopura building with a central entrance door with a single tower on top of it, flanked by two somewhat smaller entrance doors. The door jambs contain an inscription dated 1011 of the oath of allegiance to the Angkor King.
3 steep tiers of the pyramid

The Phimeanakas pyramidal structure consists of 3 tiers of diminishing size. At the base the structure measures 35 meters long by 28 meters wide, the upper platform measures 30 meters long by 23 meters wide. A very steep stairway leads to the top on all of its four sides guarded by lion statues. Most accessible is the one on the Western side, which is equipped with a handrail. At the corners of each of the tiers are guardian elephant statues.
Galleries and sanctuary at the top

On top of the pyramid is a platform surrounded by small galleries. These were the first vaulted galleries to be build in Angkor, which have been copied on a grander scale in the later monuments. These galleries probably replaced older galleries made out of perishable materials. At the center of the platform are the ruins of a small cruciform sanctuary with four vestibules opening to each of the cardinal points. The structure was likely a later addition to replace the original wooden structure, the “Golden Tower” that Zhou Daguan describes in his accounts of Angkor.
The Phimeanakas stele

In 1916 Henri Marchal of the EFEO discovered a broken stele during excavation works of temple near the Eastern stairway up the temple. The stele, written by King Jayavarman VII’s second wife, contains a wealth of information about the King, his first wife who had passed away and his second wife. The stele tells of the important role the two Queens had in the spreading of Buddhism and of their achievements. It also describes a number of important events that took place during the life of Jayavarman VII, such as battles between the Khmer and the Chams and the King’s coronation in 1181.
The legend of the golden tower

The accounts of Zhou Daguan, the Chinese diplomat who lived in Angkor for a year at the end of the 13th century tell about a legend, believed by the common people of Angkor.

On top of the Phimeanakas, known as “the Golden Tower” lived a spirit in the form of a nine headed snake, that is the Lord of the Khmer Kingdom. Every night the spirit appears in the form of a woman. The King has to climb to the top of the tower and sleep with the spirit. Should he fail to do this for one night, a great disaster is to strike the Kingdom. In case the spirit fails to appear, the King is about to die.

Phnom Bakheng

First temple with 5 towers representing Mount Meru

 

Name               Phnom Bakheng
Date                 Around 900
King                 Yasovarman I
Location           South of Angkor Thom South gate, just North of Angkor Wat
Nearby             Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Prasat Bayon

The Phnom Bakheng temple was build around the year 900 in Yasodharapura by King Yasovarman I, also known as the leper King, as he suffered from leprosy.

Yasovarman I moved the capital of the Khmer empire from Hariharalaya to Yasodharapura, near current day Siem Reap where Angkor Wat was to be build more than 200 years later.
Mountain temple dedicated to Shiva

The Phnom Bakheng is a mountain temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. King Yasovarman I made this the state temple, the most important temple of the Kingdom. It harboured the most sacred linga in Angkor.

The temple is located on top of a 70 meter high hill. From the top there are great views of the surrounding area including Angkor Wat and and two other temples build on hill tops, the Phnom Krom and the Phnom Bok. It is a popular place to view the sunset, which can make the temple very crowded at times.
Representation of the mythological Mount Meru

The Phnom Bakheng is the first Angkor temple that has five prang towers on top of the pyramid to represent the five peaks of Mount Meru. In comparison, the Bakong temple, build around 2 decades earlier, has just one prasat. Many of the Angkor temples were build to be a representation of Mount Meru, the sacred mountain with five mountain peaks from Hindu mythology.
Layout of the temple

The temple area was surrounded by a moat. In front of the stairway leading to the hilltop temple are two 2½ meter high lion statues standing guard. A path leads to the main entrance, that faces East.

Just before the remains of the laterite wall with the gopura entrance gate are a few pillars that remain of a building, and a structure of a later date that contains a footprint of the Buddha. In front of the Eastern side of the stepped pyramid are two sandstone library buildings with entrances to the East and West.

  

Five stepped pyramid

The pyramid of the Phnom Bakheng consists of five receding tiers measuring 76 meters at its base and 47 meters at the top level. On the platform of the fifth tier are the large central sanctuary, surrounded by four smaller sanctuaries. The towers enshrined lingas, some of which are still there. The large central tower had four doors, whereas usually there is just one entrance (usually East), while the others are false doors. The North side of the central prang contains an inscription dating from the reign of King Jayavarman V (968 - 1001).

On the towers are finely carved statues of devatas (guardian spirits) and apsaras (a divine female usually depicted dancing). The lintels and pediments on the prasats show several depictions, like naga snakes and warrior figures.
109 Sanctuary towers

A total of 109 sanctuary towers were build at the site, 44 around the base of the pyramid, 60 on the five tiers of the pyramid and the 5 large prasats on top. Today only part of the central prang still exists, while very little remains of the four surrounding smaller towers. Most of the 60 around the base have not survived.

At the center of each side of the pyramid is a stairway leading to the platform on top. The very steep stairway is guarded by lions. Opposite each of the stairs was a Nandi bull (the mount of Shiva), of which fragments remain.

Prasat Kravan 10th century Hindu temple with bas reliefs sculpted in brickwork

Name                 Prasat Kravan
Date                  921
King                   Built by a high ranking priest during the reign of King Harshavarman I
Location             South of Banteay Kdei and the Srah Srang baray
Nearby               Banteay Kdei, Prasat Bat Chum, Srah Srang baray

The Prasat Kravan is an early 10th century Hindu monument. It consists of a line of five brick towers built closely together set atop a low platform oriented towards the East.

The monument located a few kilometers East of Angkor Wat was dedicated to Vishnu, the Supreme God of Hinduism. The Prasat Kravan is one of the few Angkor temples that was not built by a King, but by a high ranking Hindu priest.

The towers are of slightly different size, the central tower being the largest, the towers on either side of it somewhat smaller, the outer towers being the smallest. In the interior of the central and Northern tower is a number of sculptures made directly in the brickwork of the towers, a unique feature in Angkor, which is often found in the Cham temples of Vietnam.

In the 1960’s the Prasat Kravan was restored by the EFEO, using as much as possible the original materials. New stones are marked with a “CA” inscription. A very similar temple named Prasat Neang Khmau is found in Takeo province, South of the capital Phnom Penh. Here, two brick towers of very similar architecture were built around the same time as the Prasat Kravan.
The five sanctuary towers

The monument is enclosed by a moat, which is crossed by a small causeway in the Western section of the temple grounds. East of the towers is a large cruciform terrace, which might have been where an entrance gate was which was probably built out of wood or other perishable material since nothing of it remains today.

In front of each of the sanctuary towers is a stairway that was guarded by lion statues, some of which still remain. The entrance door of the central tower contains sculpted Dvarapala guardian figures set in niches. An inscription on the doorpost of the 3½ meter wide central tower mentions that a statue of Vishnu was dedicated here in the year 921. The central sanctuary is still topped with its original four tiers, the Southern sanctuary has two of its tiers remaining, the other three have none.

Bas reliefs of the central sanctuary

The interior of the central sanctuary contains three bas reliefs of Vishnu, sculpted directly into the brick wall. One of the reliefs depicts a storey from the Bhagavata Purana, an ancient Hindu tale originating from India. The scene shows “the three giant steps of Vishnu”. In the tale, Vishnu comes to earth in the shape of the dwarf Vamana. Vishnu requests Bali, King of the Asura demons, to be given a plot of land he could cover with three foot steps. As soon as the King agreed to the request, Vishnu reveals his real size and powers and with three steps covers the entire universe.

Other reliefs show an eight armed Vishnu surrounded by a large number of worshippers in 6 lines, and Vishnu on his mount Garuda. The North tower shows sculptures of Lakshmi, Vishnu’s consort. This sanctuary contained a pedestal and was possibly dedicated to Lakshmi.