East of Angkor Description Some 13 Kilometers East of Siem Reap, on the Road to Phnom Penh, Is the Roluos Group of Temples
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east of angkor description some 13 kilometers east of siem reap, on the road to phnom penh, is the roluos group of temples. this is the destination for the afternoon’s outing and transport from amansara by jeep can be arranged for about 3.00pm. the group comprises of three main temples, lolei, which is surrounded by an active wat, preah ko and bakong. jayavarman II chose hariharalaya (present day roluos) as one of the first capital cities of the angkor period in the 9th century. it is a great starting point for early angkorian exploration. the setting is somewhat quieter than the more popular and frequented temples within the park and is ideal for contemplative time. returning to amansara by a country road which provides the opportunity to see traditional rural life is a highlight in itself. in addition, on the road home there is one more small temple complex for the true enthusiasts, prei monti with a most unusual stone bathing pool. recent excavations suggest this may have been the site of the hariharalaya royal palace. you will arrive home at approximately 6.00pm. guests arriving into siem reap on a morning flight may wish to get started on their outings a little earlier. recommended departure for east of angkor is just after lunch with the addition of the remote temple ruin of trapeang toteung thngai. although very little of the temple remains the setting at the edge of the great lake is extremely picturesque. this hindu temple, set in a bamboo forest, was possibly founded under the reign of jayavarman III and built during the 9th century. consisting of seven brick towers each containing stone pedestals from which the cylindrical shiva linga would project. sadly all that remains of the brick towers are stone door frames and piles of red brick rubble; linga anthromorphic representations of the god shiva have gone but what does remain are a large number of stone channels, or snanadroni extensions to the yoni that collected sanctified water; ask your guide to point these out and notice the superior quality of the stone. local people have told us, the temple remained in good condition until 1970, full of marvelous statues, before the ravage of war took it’s toll. scholar’s notes if the history of angkor has greatly developed after a century of patient research, questions and theories still abound. sources of information are indeed still limited to comprehend the complexity of angkorian civilization in its various facets. for example, is it known that there is no single direct evidence which gives the reigning name of the king who built angkor wat? thus, history looks like a long roadway at night, with some rare lamp-posts shedding light in a general direction. too often, historians confronted with this titanic framework of monuments, can only conjecture and produce their best assumptions ... hoping that the slow progress of our knowledge will not contradict them too quickly. by christophe pottier, 2006 dates & kings temple date king faith Discovery lolei late 9th century (893) yasovarman I hinduism / shivaism south to north preah ko late 9th century (879) indravarman I hinduism / shivaism east to east bakong late 9th century (881) indravarman I hinduism / shivaism east to west preah monti 9th century jayavarman III (possibly) hinduism / shivaism east to east toteung thngai 9th-11th century jayavarman III (possibly) hinduism / shivaism east to east suggestion half-way between siem reap city and the temple of lolei, take a right hand turn up a dirt track to find the colossal modern day sandstone seated jayavaman VII, sitting atop a 30 foot high platform above a sacred termite mound. the whole spectacle is extraordinary. 10 November 2011 the great capital, angkor thom description today a wake-up call at 6.00am is followed by breakfast and departure near to 6.30am. the first destination, ta nei, is a temple rarely visited. although it lacks the grandeur and intensity of better known monuments, it provides a sense of discovery as access is via a sandy track through thick forest. it contains some beautiful lintels and pediments carved with buddhist scenes. from here a walk directly to ta keo, which is described as being the epitome of the temple-mountain. its unfinished condition is due to either a lightning strike (considered an evil omen), the death of the reigning king, or, a struggle for succession. after a quick stop at a small hospital chapel (king jayavarman VII), exploration of his great capital, angkor thom commences. stopping at the victory gate a short climb onto the large enclosing wall leads to the fifth and little visited, east gate. angkor thom, one of the largest of all khmer cities, remained the capital until the early 15th century. a nearby budhha seated on a naga that was excavated from a well near the central tower of bayon, pays respect to the ancestors and is considered a holy place for monks of the adjacent wats. for the final stop, away from the crowds, is the preah pithu group of five monuments, four brahmanic and one buddhist, all built at different times post-12th century. departing angkor thom by the victory gate, arrival back at amansara is at approximately 10.30am. the outing is one of our favorites, and guests often comment how they did not see any other travelers. scholar’s notes within the walls of the old capital a dense forest now grows and giant trees have taken root in the midst of ruined palaces. there are few things that can stir such melancholy feelings as the sight of palaces that were once the scene of some glorious or pleasurable event, but which are now deserted. by charles-emile bouillevaux, 1848 dates & kings temple date king faith Discovery ta nei late 12th century jayavarman VII buddhism north to north ta keo late 10th-early 11th jayavarman V hinduism / east to north century shivaism hospital chapel late 12th century jayavarman VII buddhism east to east victory gate late 12th century jayavarman VII buddhism east gate late 12th century jayavarman VII buddhism vihear bram-pi late 12th-late 13th jayavarman VII buddhism east to east loveng century preah pithu 12th-13th century suryarman II-jayavarman VII buddhism south to south 10 November 2011 the enigmatic bayon description departure from amansara is around 3.00pm with the destination the south gate of angkor thom. before entering the royal palace, there is a view of the celestial palace of baphuon, an early angkorian temple that was recently restored. it was the state temple of king udayadityavarman and has been described as the world’s largest three-dimensional puzzle. a walk through thick jungle along the outer wall of the royal enclosure brings us to the southern gopura and entrance to the palace site with the royal baths. a wonderful location to rest. it is worth noting the scattered shards of roof tiles and domestic pottery underfoot, remnants of the sovereign’s private dwellings that once filled the royal enclosure. from here a secluded path behind phimeanakas avoids other travelers. a walk around the elephant terrace with its scenic bas-reliefs and the terrace of the leper king which represents mount meru, the centre of the buddhist cosmos brings us to the bayon where the lower level bas-reliefs carvings are discussed. gradually circling to the inner walls, there are unfinished carvings completed after the reign of king jayavarman VII. a narrative is provided on the faces of the king. as sunset approaches, a short climb to the upper level finds the setting sun casting shadows on the array of carved faces. the driver will meet us here and have us return home by approximately 6.15pm scholar’s notes it seems that in this place silence is imposed upon everything. we hear only the furtive sound of water as it drips from foliage and stones after the shower. my cambodian guide insists that we should leave. we have no lanterns, he tells me, on our carts, and must return before the hour of the tiger. by pierre loti, 1901 dates & kings temple date King Faith discovery south gate end 12th century jayavarman VII buddhism east to north baphuon mid-11th century (1060) udayadityavarman hinduism / east to north II shivaism royal palace 10th century Suryavarman I hinduism south to east phimeanakas late 10th-early 11th century jayavarman V hinduism / west to west shivaism elephant 12th & 13th century jayavarman VII buddhism south to north terrace leper king 12th & 13th century jayavarman VII – buddhism south to east terrace VIII bayon late 12th-late 13th century jayavarman VII buddhism / north to south shivaism & deities 10 November 2011 ancient angkor description since arriving at Angkor, two schools of thought have emerged on how best to experience angkor wat. as a guide: if capturing the atmosphere of the temple by yourself first by moon-light and then inside alone as the sun rises is what you are after, then a recommended wake-up call at 4.30am with a prompt departure from amansara at 5.00am; the first destination being the east causeway to angkor wat. your guide will escort you through the entrance gate along a forested path and then into angkor to the 1st level and up to the 2nd level of the temple providing time for personal exploration, all being well, you should witness dawn alone (please note the guides have a tendency to talk through this magical moment and rest assured they will not be offended if you ask them to save the explanations till later). for ‘serious atmosphere’ the ‘no guide’ choice is a good option.