ប្រាសាទ ភិមានអាកាស - Phimeanakas Temple (Trailer) - 100 temples project ...

Phimeanakas Temple (ប្រាសាទភិមានអាកាស)

Phimeanakas temple, also called the “Celestial Palace,” is a Hindu temple inside the Royal Palace area of Angkor Thom, Cambodia. It was built in the late 10th to early 11th century as a three-level pyramid made of laterite, once crowned with a tall tower.

The kings used the temple as a private royal shrine. According to legend, the king had to spend each night in the tower with a Naga princess, believed to be the spirit of the land, to keep the kingdom safe and prosperous. 

Construction began under King Rajendravarman and was completed by King Suryavarman I. Like many temples in Angkor, it was abandoned in the 15th century and later became covered by jungle before being rediscovered. 

Lolei Temple (ប្រាសាទលលៃ)

Lolei Temple is located north of the main road, in the center of Baray, near a modern Buddhist temple. It was built in 893 by King Yasovarman I to honor the Hindu god Shiva and in memory of the king’s father. Lolei is famous for its beautiful carvings and inscriptions, which many consider the best among the Roluos Group temples.

Originally, the temple stood in the middle of a large reservoir called Indratataka. An inscription found at the temple says that the water from this reservoir was used for the capital city of Hariharalaya and for irrigating nearby farmlands.

The temple is built on two raised platforms and is surrounded by a stone wall. Stone lion statues guard the stairways leading to the temple. It has four brick towers standing on a smaller raised platform, arranged in what seems like a random pattern. In the center, there is a unique sandstone channel shaped like a cross, which extends in four directions from a pedestal that once held a sacred lingam (a symbol of Shiva). Some believe that holy water was poured over the lingam and flowed through these channels.

The temple’s false doors are decorated with many detailed carvings, and the inscriptions on the door frames are especially well-crafted and impressive.

 

Banteay Kdei Temple (ប្រាសាទបន្ទាយក្តី)

 

Banteay Kdei is a temple located southeast of Ta Prohm in Cambodia. It was built during the late 12th and early 13th centuries by King Jayavarman VII. The temple's design and style are similar to Ta Prohm, but it is smaller and less complicated. No one knows who the temple was dedicated to because no inscription stone has been found.

Design and Structure

Archaeologists believe the temple originally had:

• A central sanctuary.
• A gallery surrounding the sanctuary.
• A passageway leading to another gallery.
• A moat around the temple.

The temple was also surrounded by a larger wall made of laterite stone, measuring 700 by 500 meters. The wall has gates, called gopuras, facing the four main directions. At the corners of these gates are carvings of garudas, mythical bird-like creatures. This design was a favorite of King Jayavarman VII and looks similar to the gates of Ta Prohm.

Archaeological Findings

Research by the University of Sofia shows that Banteay Kdei was built on top of an older temple. Archaeologists found a foundation under the temple that might be linked to Kod Village from the time of King Jayavarman II.

Bakong Temple (ប្រាសាទ បាគង)

Location: South of Preah Ko Temple

Access: Enter and leave at the East, a modern Buddhist temple occupies the northeast section of the complex

Date: Late ninth century (881)

King: Indravarman I (reigned 877- 889) 

Religion: Hindu (dedicated to Shiva)

Art Style: Preah Ko 

Bakong Temple, located in Hariharalaya (named after the synthesis deity Harihara, representing Shiva and Vishnu), is a prominent temple-mountain symbolizing Mount Meru, the cosmic axis. Its five ascending levels represent the mythical worlds of nagas, garudas, rakshasas, yakshas, and the divine realm at the summit. Likely serving as the state temple of Indravarman I, Bakong embodies both religious and architectural significance.

The temple is enclosed by two ramparts. The outer rampart, measuring 900 x 700 meters, surrounds a moat with causeways on four sides featuring naga balustrades. The inner rampart has gopuras (gateway towers) at the center of each wall. Structures within the complex include rest houses, brick buildings with circular holes (possibly ritual or functional), and sandstone halls along the processional way, possibly storehouses or libraries.

The temple's central sanctuary is a square, tiered structure crowned with a lotus-shaped spire, added during the 12th century. The sanctuary's design allows visibility from all five levels, emphasizing its sacred presence. The temple reflects a synthesis of spiritual symbolism and architectural ingenuity.

 

Tor Temple (ប្រាសាទ​ ទ)

Tor Temple has two brick towers that face East and an inscription about the natural irrigation in Sanskrit. Local people call this temple "Tor"

This place once had a dam to hold back water flowing from Phnom Kulen. The dam was closed in 1975. A Sanskrit inscription tells about the irrigation. 

Butchum Temple (ប្រាសាទបាតជុំ)

Butchum temple is located about 300 meters South of Srah Srang. It's constructed of brick and has three towers facing East. According to the inscription, the temple was built by a Buddhist officer named Kavey Treanrimthon during the reign of Rajendravarman, who was crowned in AD 944.