Ta Prohm Tour

Hindu Temples of Cambodia

Part III

K.S. Kanakasabaapathi

Ta Prohm

This part covers one of the most interesting temples which has attracted tourists from all over the world; the Ta Prohm Temple. This temple is slightly away from Siem Reap and is worth the visit The visuals are breath taking.

The temple was built by Jayavarman VII (1186) and later additions were made by Jayavarman VIII (1243-1295) and Srindravarman (1295-1307). The term Ta Prohm meand Temple for Brahma, But Buddha seems to have been the presiding deity at some point of time either before Brahma or after.

The temple architecture follows a flat terrain pattern unlike most of the other temples in which the presiding deity was placed in an elevated position.

The temple seems to have bcome neglected from 14^th or 15^th century and nature had taken over. Trees have grown all around the place, including cobering the structures. The trees were mainly strangler fig and silk cotton. The roots have spread their tentacles around and on top of the structures presenting a picture of nature's full capability. There are also blocks of stone stren all over making a giant 3D jigsaw puzzle.

Archaeological Survey of India has taken over the restoration process which actually ooks formidable. It is understood that the ASI had decided to keep certain structures and trees as they are as it may be impossible to meddle with the present state. There is every possiblility that if some of the trees are removed, the structure itself may come down. Maintaining staus quo will also help tourists to understand how nature had worked around the temple and it will continue to be a tourist attraction.

After the fall of the Khmer empire in the 15th century, the temple of Ta Prohm was abandoned and neglected for centuries. When the effort to conserve and restore the temples of Angkor began in the early 20th century, the École française d'Extrême-Orient decided that Ta Prohm would be left largely as it had been found, as a "concession to the general taste for the picturesque." According to pioneering Angkor scholar Maurice Glaize, Ta Prohm was singled out because it was "one of the most imposing temples and the one which had best merged with the jungle, but not yet to the point of becoming a part of it". Nevertheless, much work has been done to stabilize the ruins, to permit access, and to maintain this condition of apparent neglect.

As of 2010, however, it seems Archaeological Survey of India has undertaken a more aggressive approach to restoration. All the plants and shrubs have been cleared from the site and some of trees are also getting removed. A crane has been erected and a large amount of building work is underway to restore the temple, with much of the work seemingly just rebuilding the temple from scratch as at other sites. Wooden walkways, platforms, and roped railings have been put in place around the site which now block some of the previously famous postcard photo opportunities.

The temple of Ta Prohm was used as a location in the film Tomb Raider. The temple rquires at least four hours to explore. Here are some pictures which are self explanatory::

Giant 3D Jigsaw Puzzle

Ta Keo

Ta Keo had to be the state temple of Jayavarman V, son of Rajendravarman, who had built Pre Rup. Like Pre Rup, it has five sanctuary towers arranged in a quincunx, built on the uppermost level of five-tier pyramid consisting of overlapping terraces (a step pyramid), surrounded by moat, as a symbolic depiction of Mount Meru. Its particularly massive appearance is due to the absence of external decorations, as carving had just begun when the works stopped, besides an elaborate use of perspective effects. It is considered an example of the so-called Khleang style.

The main axis of the temple is E-W and a causeway connects its eastern entrance to a landing stage on the Eastern Baray, with which Ta Keo was in tightly relationship. The outer banks of the surrounding moats have now vanished.

Along the eastern side of the second terrace in the corners there are two buildings that are the shorter version of the long galleries of the first terrace. More towards the central axis there are two little sandstone "libraries", opening to the west, with false windows on upper storeys.

The final pyramid rises in three narrow steps from the second terrace. Its base is square, the summit is square and stands above the ground. The four stairways that lead on the summit are continuous and very steep. At the foot of the eastern one there is a statue of a kneeling Nandi, which confirms that Ta Keo was a Shivaite temple. The absence of any decoration makes the final pyramid really massive. However on the east face some damaged carvings of floral patterns are still visible.

The four corner towers on the summit stand on high basements and open to the four cardinal points with protruding vestibules. In the central tower, which dominates the others from its basement, the vestibules are doubled. Fragments of lingas and several statues were found in the sanctuary chambers

History

Jayavarman V was ten year old when succeeded to his father, Rajendravarman, in 968 A.D. His early years of reign were rather turbulent and the court officials dominated the royal politics. When he was aged seventeen (in 975 AD), he began the construction of his own state temple, whose modern name is Ta Keo, that was dedicated some time around 1000 AD. In contemporary inscriptions it is called Hemagiri or Hemasringagiri ("the mountain with golden summits"). It remains unfinished. Yogisvarapandita, a high priest who became minister of Suryavarman I and "received" the temple from him many years later, says in inscriptions that a lightning strike hit the unfinished building, an evil omen, so the works stopped. Maybe works stopped simply because of the death of Jayavarman V, as there was a struggle for succession. Actually the temple worked continuously as a cult center until the 13th century and even Yogisvarapandita worshipped the shrines at the first levels of the temple.

A term tightly linked to Hemasringagiri is Jayendranagari (which in Sanskrit means "capital of the victorious king"), the royal palace or maybe the new capital city of Jayavarman V. However the remains of this large hypothesized ensemble are very scarce. Today only a tower in the south-west survives, similar to the corner towers of Ta Keo, with an unusual single door to the south.

The Sanskrit Library has vanished and only the building remains. There are inscriptions on the walls, which according to the lone security guard are supposed to be in Sanskrit but the script appears to be Khmer.
There are a lot of huge stone blocks lying around giving the impression that the temple was subjected to a massive earthquake. The security guard informed that Pol Pot, who ruled during 1975-79 and terrorized people had removed all traces of Sanskrit.  The security guard said he received a salary of US$ 1 per day!

Here are some pictures.

Ta Keo Temple with Three Terraces



Lingam Base Only

Sanskrit Inscription?