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Four levels leading to the
Central Sanctuary correspond to the worlds of mythical beings (Nagas, Garudas,
Raksasas and Yaksas). |
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LAYOUT
The temple of Bakong
is built on an artificial mountain and enclosed in a rectangular area by two
walls. It has a square base with five tiers. The first, or outside, enclosure
(not on the plan) (900 by 700 meters, 2,953 by 2,297 feet) surrounds a moat with
an embankment and causeways on four sides, which are bordered by low Naga
balustrades. The second and smaller enclosure (1) has an entry tower (2) of
sandstone and laterite in the center of each side of the wall. There were
originally 22 towers inside the first enclosures. After passing through the
entry tower at the east one comes to a long causeway (3) decorated with large
seven-headed serpents across a moat. Long halls (4) on each side lie parallel to
the eastern wall. They were probably rest houses for visitors. Two square-shaped
brick building at the northeast and southeast (5) corners are identified by rows
of circular holes and an opening to the west. The vents in the chimneys suggest
these buildings served as crematoriums. There was originally a single building
of this type at the northwest and southwest corners but today they are
completely ruined. On each side of the causeway just beyond the halls there are
two square structures with four doors (6). The inscription of the temple was
found in the one on the right.
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Further
along the causeway, there are two long sandstone buildings (7) on each side,
which open to the causeway. These may have been storehouses or libraries. To the
north and south of the storehouses receptively there is a square brick sanctuary
tower (8). There are two more on each side of the central platform, making a
total of eight. Decoration on the towers is in brick with a heavy coating of
stucco. The towers, with one door opening to the east and three false doors,
have a stairway on each side, which is decorated with crouching lions at the
base. The two to the east of the central platform have a unique feature, a
double sandstone base, The door entrance and the false doors were uniformly cut
from a single block of sandstone, The decoration on the false doors is
exceptionally fine, especially that on the tower on the right in the front row,
the false door of which has remarkable Kala handles. The corners of the towers
are decorated with female and male guardians in niches.
Tip:
the lintels of the west towers are in the best condition.
A long building with a gallery and a porch opening to the north (9) is situated
close to the western wall (on the left); it is mostly demolished.
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CENTRAL
AREA (BASE AND TOWERS)
The square-shaped
base (10) has five tiers with a stairway on each of the four sides and, at the
base, a step in the shape of a moonstone. Remains of a small structure can be
seen at the base of the stairway fairway flanked by two sandstone blocks, which
may have held sculpted figures.
Elephants successively smaller in
size stand at the corners of the first three tiers of the base. The fourth tier
is identified by twelve small sandstone towers, each of which originally
contained a linga. The fifth tier is framed by a molding decorated with a frieze
of figures (barely visible) the ones on the south side are in the best
condition.
CENTRAL SANCTUARRY
The Central Sanctuary (11) is visible from each of the five
levels because of the unusual width of the tiers. The sanctuary is square with
four tiers and a lotus-shaped top. Only the base of the original Central
Sanctuary remains. The rest was constructed at a later date, perhaps during the
twelfth century.
LOLEI
Location:
Lolei is at Roluos, north of Bakong. A modern Buddhist temple is located in the
grounds of Lolei near the central towers.
Access:
Enter and leave the temple by the stairs at the east.
Tip:
Beware of the ants during certain seasons near the top of the entrance steps.
Date:
End of the ninth century (893)
Religion:
Transitional between Prah Ko and Bakheng
BACKGROUND
Although Lolei is small it is worth
a visit for its carvings and inscription. The temple of Lolei originally formed
an island in the middle of a Baray (3,800 by 800 meters, 12,467 by 2,625 feet),
now dry. According to an inscription found at the temple the water in this pond
was for use at the capital of Hariralaya and for irrigating the plains in the
area.
LAYOUT
The layout consists of two tiers
with laterite enclosing walls and stairway to the upper level in the center of
each side. Lions on the landings os the stairways guard the temple. A sandstone
channel in the shape of a cross situated in the center of the four towers on the
upper terrace is an unusual feature, the channels extend in the cardinal
directions from a square pedestal for a linga. It is speculated the holy water
poured over the linga flowed in the channels.
CENTRAL SANCTUARIES
Four brick tower with tiered upper
portions, arranged in two rows, on the upper terrace make up the Central
Sanctuaries. As the two-north towers are aligned on the east-west axis, it is
possible the original plan had six towers, which probably shared a common base
like that at Prah Ko.
Tip:
The northeast tower is the best preserved.
The entrances of the doors to the
towers are cut from a single block of stone, as at Bakong. The corners of the
towers on the east are decorated with male guardians holding tridents and those
of the west with female divinities holding flywhisks. They are sculpted in
sandstone with a brick casing. The panels of the false doors have multiple
figures. The inscriptions on the doorframes are exceptionally fine.
The workmanship on the lintels is
skilled and the composition balanced. Some noteworthy depictions are: Indra on
an elephant with figures and Makaras spewing serpents (northeast tower); Visnu
riding a Garuda with a branch of serpents (south-east tower).
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