Preah Vihear Temples
Geographical location
Prasat Preah Vihear (Prasat Preah Vihear) is located in the north of Cambodia in the area of Natural Village, Sraem Commune, Choam Ksan District, Preah Vihear Province [1] and in the past it was located in Village 1, Kantuot Commune, Choam Ksan District, Preah Vihear Province .
In the past, Choam Ksan district is located in Kampong Thom province. Prasat Preah Vihear is a mountain temple built on the top of Preah Vihear mountain in the Dangrek mountain range with a height of 625 meters above sea level. Inscriptions of Prasat Khna call Phnom Dangrek Phnom Phnom Kampheng or Phnom Chhnang.
Thais call Phnom Dangrek Phnom Veng, while Laotians call it Phnom Den Moeung. The temple of Preah Vihear is located on the border of Sisaket province of Thailand. The temple of Preah Vihear is about 55 kilometers from Choam Ksan district hall, 100 kilometers from Preah Vihear provincial town, more than 150 kilometers from Siem Reap provincial town and about 400 kilometers from Phnom Penh.
The Dangrek mountain range is the international natural border between Cambodia and Thailand. The temple of Preah Vihear is located at the parallel point 14.24 to 18 of the eastern latitude and 104 to 41.02 parallel of the northern latitude.
The temple of Preah Vihear is located on the ridge of Preah Vihear mountain on an area of 800 by 400 square meters. The temple of Phnom Preah Vihear is very steep on the Cambodian side and slopes on the Thai side.
Today, most shopkeepers and locals often climb the mountain on C1 because it is easy to travel. On the other hand, tourists can climb Phnom Preah Vihear through the ancient stairs on the east side of the mountain, which was built from the time with the temple, but was badly damaged, but now it has been repaired and replaced with wooden stairs Renovation of the National Authority of Preah Vihear. To travel to the temple of Preah Vihear, one can choose through two routes:
.From Siem Reap, on the way to Banteay Srei, towards Anlong Veng district, until you reach the Sraem roundabout, then continue for about 20 kilometers and reach the K1 terminal, which is the ticket office for the Preah Vihear temple.
.Depart from Phnom Penh to Kampong Thom, then reach the Siem Reap-Preah Vihear junction and turn right through the Sambo Prei Kuk resort or Sambor Prei Kuk temple until the Phnom Dek junction, then turn left to the provincial town of Preah Vihear and continue until the Sraem roundabout.
Name of the temple
The temple of Preah Vihear or the temple of Phnom Preah Vihear and the pants of Preah Vihear in Thai means "temple of Phnom Preah Vihear". Pants means mountain, while the word Preah Vihear comes from the Khmer word Preah Vihear, which in Sanskrit means Vihear. According to the inscription of the temple of Preah Vihear, the name of the penis kept here is named Prasat Srey Sikharisvara, which means the lord of the top of the mountain. The temple of Preah Vihear is a Hindu temple.
History of Preah Vihear temple
thumb | Inscription of the Temple of Preah Vihear Archaeologists have always thought of it as a temple with a structure almost identical to that of King Suryavarman I. The same temple as Wat Phu, Phnom Chisor, Cheung Prey, Wat Trach .... etc.
The carvings on Hor Cheang have the same shape as those at Banteay Srei and Koh Ker temples. According to research, it can be assumed that the construction of Preah Vihear temple was first started in the early 9th century during the reign of King Jayavarman II (802-850). ).
According to Inscription No. K-583 at Baphuon Char Temple during the reign of King Rajendravarman II (844-968), it is said that Lord Indrayuth, the son of Jayavarman II, went to retaliate at Phnom Lingpopot (Wat Phu Temple). Champasak, Laos) and brought the penis from the natural mountain rock (Swayamphu Ling) to be placed on the mountain of Preah Vihear in the name of the goddess Sikhisvara, which means the deity of the top of the mountain.
Srey Sikri Svara is the name given to the penis of Preah Iso, kept in the temple of Preah Vihear and the name of the ancient temple of Preah Vihear. The temple of Preah Vihear was built to dedicate to Iso in Brahmanism. The Khmer kings who built the temple of Preah Vihear are:
Prince Indrayuth, son of Jayavarman II (802-850)
Yasovarman I (889-900)
King Rajendravarman II (944-968)
King Suryavarman I (1002-1050)
King Tey Tithvarman I (1060-1056)
King Hasavarman II (1050-1080)
Jayavarman VI (1080-1109)
King Suryavarman II (1113-1150)
The kings who built and renovated the temples of Preah Vihear are:
Yasovarman I: He built the central temple.
Suryavarman I: He built a long building near the central tower, the surrounding walls and the third gopura. According to the inscriptions of the temple, King Suryavarman I organized a ceremony to invite the deity Phetsvara, who lived at Wat Phu (Laos), to stay with the deity Srey Sikrisvara to help protect and preserve the Khmer kingdom and people.
Jayavarman VI: He built two hothouses or libraries and repaired some parts of the temple.
Suryavarman II: He built a pavilion with seven-headed dragons, lions on the street and many other dragons up the stairs. He organized the inauguration of the temple and considered it a place of worship for all kings.
thumb | 3D image of the second gopura According to research from various Khmer historical documents, the temple of Preah Vihear was built of sandstone since the reign of King Suryavarman I. Suryavarman I reigned in the first half of the 11th century. The tallest temple site is 625 meters (French documents) or 615 meters (English documents). The history of the construction of the Temple of Preah Vihear is based on the Khmer inscription at Baphuon Temple in Siem Reap Province, K-583: The inscription was named Harivaha during the reign of King Rajendravarman I from 944 to 968 AD. Inscribed in Sanskrit and ancient Khmer. It is recorded that there was a prince named Indrayuth who took a penis named Srey Sikrisvara and settled here at this temple of Preah Vihear. He is very strong. He had the power to go to war with the Cham king and capture that Cham king again. As for this inscription, historians think that no other inscription mentions a war to capture the Cham king, but the king he captured was probably not the Cham king who ruled the entire Cham country. . Probably a small king who ruled a kingdom bordering Cambodia. The Temple of Preah Vihear was ceded to Thailand by the French in 1954 and returned to the Kingdom of Cambodia by a judgment dated 15 June 1962 at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the Netherlands. thumb | Preah Vihear Temple Tour
Inscription
There are four inscriptions in the temple of Preah Vihear, such as inscriptions K-380, K-381, K-382 and K-383. Inscription No. K-380 This inscription is located on the building of the main gate of the fourth gopura of the temple of Preah Vihear, inscribed in Sanskrit and ancient Khmer between 1038 and 1049 AD.
This inscription has historical significance of the temple of Preah Vihear and mentions Srey Sok Ream, described in the following article. Inscription No. K-381 This inscription is inscribed on the gate of the Royal Palace in the third gopura of the temple of Preah Vihear, inscribed in the Sanskrit language and the ancient Khmer language, inscribed during the year 1024.
This inscription mentions the Brahmin Takpavinbandit in the following text. Inscription K-382 is inscribed on a pillar and is badly damaged in front of the main tower of the Temple of Preah Vihear, but is now housed in the National Museum in Bangkok.
This inscription was written in 1047 during the reign of King Suryavarman I, mentioning the permission to write the inscription and a little information from the temple of Preah Vihear. Inscription No. K-383 is an inscription referring to the Brahmin Day or Day.
This inscription was written in Sanskrit and ancient Khmer between 1119 and 1121 by order of King Suryavarman II. This inscription is described below .
These four inscriptions were discovered by Etienne Aymonier in the late 19th century and were published in the early 20th century and subsequently studied by Barth and Bergaine. Lunet de Lajonquére, Fino, Pamang
The purpose of building the temple of Preah Vihear
The temple of Preah Vihear was built for a special purpose, different from the construction of Angkor Wat, which was built to commemorate Vishnu, Baphuon temple, to commemorate Preah Iso. Sikkha Risvara, because according to the beliefs of Suryavarman I, especially Suryavarman II, he still supports the idea that this deity is very great, so it is necessary to pray. The location of this temple in Phnom Preah Vihear
First, the goddess Sikkha Risvara is sometimes written, sometimes it is written as Srak, sometimes it is written as Sikkha Risvara, but it is the same name. It is a place that is kept because this deity who has a penis as a representative is very powerful. It is believed that bringing fruits brings happiness to Cambodia.
Second: Phnom Preah Vihear temple, this place is not a place for the king to live. There is no village for the people. There is only a place for the monks to come and perform the ritual and to help continue this worship. If you look at the temple next to the third gate or the third gopura at the third gopura with the inscription K-381, it is suspected that there is a place where they were ordained as Brahmins. In order to continue the work of respecting and caring for the deity Srey Sikkha Risvara.
Construction phase
The construction of the temple of Preah Vihear has three major stages
Historians suspect that in the time of Prince Indrayuth, the hermitage was probably made of wood
However, during the reign of King Suryavarman I, mountains were cleared, rocks were used as stairs, roads were built up, and rocks were used to build various temple sites in the territory of Preah Vihear temple.
Then, during the reign of King Suryavarman II, it is thought that the temple of Phnom Preah Vihear was better built in the middle of the 12th century. King Suryavarman II was the one who built the temple of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap today.
The north-facing temple of Preah Vihear is built on the ridge of Dangrek Mountain, a natural mountain on a steep slope from south to north. Enter and take another staircase from the east (ancient staircase). From the 5th gopura to the 4th gopura and the 4th gopura to the 3rd gopura, there are sandstone pillars on either side of the road. On the other hand, from the third gopura to the second gopura, there are boundary pillars and seven-headed dragons open on both sides as ornaments.
On the east side of the entrance between the 5th and 4th gopura there is a large ancient pond, and on the east side of the road between the 4th and 3rd gopura there is also a small ancient pond. On the northeast side of the third gopura is a single sandstone temple. Between the two gopuras and the first gopuras, there are two temples built in reverse, one facing east and the other westward, which French scholars consider to be a hortai or hortai or library. The central tower or main tower plays the most important role as a sacred place of worship for the female penis. The central tower has a copper wall (gallery) surrounded by a sandstone roof.
The walls of the factory can be walked from the inside, except for the corners of the factory on the northeast and northwest. As for the factory in the southern part of the district, it is a wall made of bricks, which is made of old temple bricks.
The west flag factory and the east flag factory have a door for entry and exit. To the east and west of the central tower, there are two other structures, the walls for storing materials for the temple. Continuing from the south tower of the central tower to the top of the southernmost hill is a square with stone slabs left as stone carvings to build the temple.
At the southernmost point is Peytadi. thumb | East Ancient Stairs From the lowlands from the road to the temple on the highest peak, one has to walk up several stairs with a total radius of 804 meters. Before ascending from the lowlands to the temple on the top of the mountain, one has to go through 5 gates. The site of the temple on the highest peak is 525 meters high. The main temple is 35 meters by 45 meters, which is suspected to be the place to store the penis of the deity named Srey Sikkha Risvara. The first from the foot of the mountain is 54 meters, they are made of stairs, all 159 steps.
We travel up the slightly steep stairs 25 meters to the gate of the 5th Gopura. thumb | North Staircase After reaching the gate of the 5th Gopura, one has to travel up the road again for about 244 meters. Along the road, there are anchors on both sides of the road leading to the gate of the fourth gopura.
At the gate of the fourth gopura, there is a carpenter who describes the myth of Ki, the story of the churning of the sea of milk, which is the story of the creation of the world, and below is the image of Vishnu sleeping. When going up the stairs on the left hand side there is an ancient pond.
This pond is very important because when the current King of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej came to the throne on June 9, 1946, Thailand brought water from this pond to complete the royal wedding. King of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand.
Up again, 150 meters away, there is a road anchor as before. On the left hand side, there is a small solitary temple up to 150 meters to the gate of the third gopura, there is an inscription about the construction of the temple, in the reign of King Suryavarman I, probably the place where you go to venerate Let them study the Dharma in this place beyond the gates of the third gopura.
Between the gates of the third gopura and the gate of the second gopura there is a walkway of about 40 meters. This 40-meter-long walkway, which has the form of a dragon, opens a blessing like a handrail and also anchors along this road.
We followed the path of the dragon and came to the gate of the second gopura. Arriving at the gate of the second gopura, the temple faces north. To the west or to the right there is a building, to the left there is none. This building may be left for the big idols, lodges or shrines here. thumb | I am proud to be born a Khmer, the distance from the gate of the second gopura to the gate of the first gopura is about 40 to 50 meters. One has to walk through the gates of this second gopura to reach the last temple, which is located on the highest peak. The location of the temple on the highest peak is 525 meters high. This is the place where they probably put the penis, which is said to be the deity of the temple of Preah Vihear, if we think only of the last big temple is only 35 meters by 45 meters, and if we walk behind the temple, be careful Because that is the end of the mountain, that is the place where the accusation is over. So, in the end, they may have left the penis of a deity named Srey Sikkha Risvara. By 2008, there was a lot of loss, a lot of ruins, what is left today, we look at the sculptures are very cute, because it is very beautiful, do it very well.
Photo Gallarry
© Copyright konneaksreakh 2020
0 Comments