BAKONG TEMPLE

Date: 881 (late 9^th century)

Built by: Indravarman I (Posthumous name Isvaraloka)

Religion: Hinduism (dedicated to Shiva)

Cleared: 1936

Restoration: 1936-43

Bakong was a state temple of Hari-Hara Laya, the name was derived from the god Hari & Hara (Vishnu & Shiva). It’s a mountain temple was built by king Indravarman I in late 9^th century 881 to dedicated to god Shiva and this temple was representing the cosmic mountain Meru, it’s  the residence of the gods. The five levels leading to central tower correspond to the word of mythical being are Naga-Garuda-Rakasak-Yaksa and Maharaya.

Bakong Temple

This temple was built on an artificial mountain and surrounded by 3 walls made of laterite, the first wall was 700m wide by 900m long today nothing left, and there are 22 brick towers in the courtyard of this first wall. The second wall is 300m wide by 400m long which had 4 entrances towers, but we are only accessible from the east and west entrance of the causeways.  Formerly along these causeways were decorated with low Naga balustrades with 7 heads, today is in poor conditioned states. The temple was surrounded by a big moat with 7m depth and recently this moat has been cleared by Apsara Authority. The third walls is 120m wide by 160m long and there are 4 square brick buildings inside the courtyard of this wall with some rows of holes on these building for ventilation, maybe they were served as the halls for meditation by the priests in courtyard of this wall again, we can see 2 long laterite halls parallel to the earthern, they were probably used as rest house for pilgrims and there are 4 square buildings, 2 building located at the southeast and other 2 located at the northeast corners. We can recognize by rows of the holes for ventilation and all of these buildings opened to the west they were served as the halls for meditation by priests (Khmer, maybe crematorium). On each side of the causeways just beyond the halls there are 2 square structures with 4 doors, the inscription was found in the one on the right year 1935 by Mr. Gorge Trouve, it talked about the erection of the Linga Sri-Indresvara in the year 881. Further along the causeway the are 2 long sandstone buildings covered by timber roof but which was completely perished, they are may have been used as the libraries, there are 8 brick towers around the base of this pyramid but 2 brick tower on each of the 4 sides of the base were decorated with heavy coating of stucco with one door opening to the east and had 3 false doors have a stairway on each of the 4 sides flanking with crouching lions at the base. The two towers at the east have a unique feature because each one of which had a double sandstone base, all 8 brick tower were decorated with females and male guardians in niches and one of the 8 brick towers on the northeast, they found the statue of god Shiva and his 2 wives name Uma & Ganag you can call Uma-Ganga –Pati-Svara it was kept in Angkor conservation office in 1965. 

So, when we walk up to the top level  we could see the 12 elephants stand at the corners of the first to the third levels and the 12 small sandstone stupas that was originally contained the Linga, the 5th level has the Bas-Reliefs but mostly eroded except they south part is still reasonable intact, this carving was say the god Vishnu prostrated 5 brothers of demons they are Kandaka-Ukrayana-Kandara-Asoumachak and Virear Kahangka, the central tower was originally kept the Linga  of Devaraja “Sri-Indresvara”

Ø  East Lintel: Shiva dancing under the name “Nataraja”

Ø  West Lintel: Vishnu was sleeping on serpent.

Ø  North Lintel: Laksmana among the monkeys were entwined by Indraj it’s arrow in the form of serpent.

Ø  South Lintel: The churning the ocean of milk.