Koh Ker Jayavarman IV, who reigned from 928 to 941, divided the Khmer kingdom by establishing a new capital in the remote location of Chok Gargyar ("Island of Glory", present-day Koh Ker), just east of the southern tip of Phnom Kulen.* It has been suggested that Jayavarman IV was a usurper to the Khmer throne, but there is no clear evidence of this. However, it is certain that he wielded a great deal of military power. (Inscriptions reveal that he ruled over the territories of Battamabang, Siemreap, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, and Ta Kev.) Called 'Lingapura' in inscriptions, this royal ceremonial complex was built on a grand scale and originally contained some of the largest sculpture ever created by the Khmer. Not surprisingly, over the centuries most of the sculpture has been looted or moved to museums. Some of these pieces are on view at the Angkor National Museum in Siem Reap. Although Koh Ker's most prominent feature is the great pyramid, Prasat Thom, there are some intriguing outlying ruins as well, including Prasat Neang Khmau and root-covered Prasat Pram. *The Khmer capital was moved from Chok Gargyar back to Angkor by Jayavarman IV's successor, Harshavarman II (reigned 941-944).
Bakong Located near the present-day village of Roluos, Bakong is a Hindu temple-mountain built by King Indravarman I (reigned 877-889). It was the center of Hariharalaya, the capital of the Khmer Empire before it was transferred to Yasodharapura (Angkor) by Yasovarman I (reigned 889-c.900). Constructed on an artificial mound, the temple is an earthly representation of mythical Mount Meru, a mountain of five peaks, sacred in Hindu cosmology. It is now used by Buddhists, and a modern Buddhist pagoda stands adjacent to the ruin site. The morning I visited the site, the guard was kind enough to allow me entrance some fifteen minutes early. I was alone in the temple save for two young Khmer girls who were collecting the remains of yellow candles that had been placed throughout the temple and lit for a ceremony the previous evening. How I would have liked to have seen the temple aglow in such fashion. A beautiful flowering tree (Delonix regia - royal poinciana) near the pagoda was alive with butterflies.
Preah Ko Preah Ko ("The Sacred Bull") was built as a funerary monument to the mother and father of King Indravarman I (reigned 877-889 CE). This ancestral temple also honors the king's maternal grandparents as well as his predecessor, King Jayavarman II, and his wife. Dedicated to Shiva, it was completed in the late 9th century. One of the oldest Khmer temples, it is also one of the best preserved and most beautiful. The carving on the columns, lintels, and false doors is superb. Ornate niches shelter skillfully rendered dvarapalas (male guardians) and devatas (female guardians). Intricate floral and geometric elements abound in the lintels, as do depictions of various mythic monsters including kala, makara, naga, and garuda.* When I arrived at Preah Ko, on a cloudy morning of intermittent rain, the site was aswarm with humans, including a large group of Korean tourists that was incredibly loud. However, within minutes of my arrival the rain began to fall hard, and the Koreans were compelled to retreat to their tour bus, leaving the temple much less crowded and much quieter. The rain brought out the rich colors of the stone as well as the heady perfumes of the forest. It was lovely and intoxicating. I told one of the guards, in my beginner's Khmer, that I like the rain: "Kñom jool-jet pliang." He flashed a quizzical smile. Speaking Khmer, I tried to explain where I was from and what the weather is like. I do not think he had heard of Oregon. * Kala - jawless monster resembling a lion's head with two bulging eyes often depicted devouring floral garlands. Makara - a strange hybrid of crocodile, fish, tapir, bird, and elephant depicted in profile and placed at the ends of lintels. Naga - Cobra with odd-numbered heads (usually five, seven, or nine), serpent god of the waters, an important and ubiquitous figure in Khmer sculpture. Garuda - An anthropomorphic eagle creature, enemy of the Naga, revered as the mount of Vishnu, also very common in Angkorean sculpture.
Banteay Srei
Banteay Srei ("Citadel of the Women") is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, constructed in the latter half of the 10th century CE. Originally called 'Isvarapura', it was commissioned by a Brahmin of royal descent, Yajnavaraha, who served as tutor to the royal prince, Jayavarman V (968-1001). Construction began during the reign of Jayavarman's predecessor, Rajendravarman II (reigned 944-968), but the temple was not dedicated until after his death in 968. The red sandstone used in the construction of Banteay Srei makes it unique among the temples of Angkor. Also unique is the enigmatically small scale on which it was built. The doors in the towers measure less than 5 feet high. However, the carvings on the lintels, pediments, false doors, pilasters, and columns are some of the finest in Angkor. These masterworks depict lively scenes from the Hindu epics and Puranas. They display not only great skill, aesthetics, and artistry but also a deep familiarity with Hindu mythology and literature. I visited this temple on my first trip to Cambodia in 2014. Our group toured the site in the evening when many other tourists were present. I felt that visit to be rather rushed and so was grateful for the opportunity to visit the temple again on my most recent trip. My two friends and I were the first to enter the temple on a beautiful, if rather warm, Saturday morning (most Angkor temples open at 7:30). The golden light of early day and clouds scattered across the blue sky made for a captivating scene, silent and serene. |