Andy Brouwer's Cambodia Tales
Other temples and historical sites #2
Situated 30 kilometres northeast of Phnom Penh, Phnom Baset is shrouded in legend and mystery and has been a place of worship since the 8th century. At that time a large rectangular brick edifice, known as Prasat Srei Krup Leak (the temple of the perfect woman) was constructed at the top of the hill (bottom row: left). Its doorways are framed in sandstone, the colonettes and lintels are ornamented with leaves and scrolls (top row: right) and the walls are decorated with 'flying palaces', like those at Sambor Prei Kuk (bottom row: right). Under an enormous rock, is a natural grotto (top row: left), about fifteen feet in diameter and legend says the exit of the tunnel leads to Phnom Chataruh, some 15kms away in the town of Long Veat. Another tale suggests its home to the giant Porh Thbaal snakes. At the summit is a giant reclinning Buddha (Roob Preh Chol Neapeau) and a memorial at Wat Try Treng houses remains of Khmer Rouge victims executed in the area. The sister hill to Baset, Phnom Krai, has been levelled in recent years by Thai construction companies. The photos below have been supplied by Kazuo Iwase.
In the Kompong Chhnang area, along the Tonle Sap river leading to the Great Lake, Kazuo Iwase recently visited a handful of temples and here's a few of his photographs. At Prasat Preah Srei, just one brick tower remains of an original trio of buildings (top row: left). It faces east with a lintel in situ and another on the ground and has remains of 'flying palaces' on its walls. 200 metres away, the brick sanctuary of Prasat Toch has all but disappeared. However, a lintel in the Sambor Prei Kuk style (and a sleeping pig) remain on view (top row: right). Prasat Sakhla (top row: middle), two kilometres southwest of Preah Srei, is a tall brick tower in reasonable condition with fragments of lintel lying around. Nearby, Prasat Phnom Ponreai, has two brick towers (bottom row: left) and another sanctuary in ruins. South of Kompong Thom and one kilometre northeast of the village of Tang Krasan along Route 6, lies Kuk Veang. A large brick sanctuary without a roof, it has a damaged lintel in situ (bottom row: middle). Further south and 3 kilometres off Route 6, near the village of Khnoi, is Kuk Ampil Thvear, a brick temple, laterite wall and a small lintel used as part of a buddhist altar (bottom row: right).
I've already written about my own trip to Phnom Kulen to view the riverbed carvings, the giant reclining Buddha and enjoy the waterfalls. However, on another part of the Kulen plateau lie a collection of decaying temples, seen by very few visitors to the mountain range. Originally some 30+ temples stood in a five square mile radius but the ravages of time have reduced that total to little more than a handful. The main pyramid temple, Rong Chen, is in ruins, although carved reliefs on a rockface remain intact (top row: left). At Prasat Damrei Krap ('temple of the squatting elephant') the tall brick tower (top row: right) still houses lintels in reasonable condition, while Prasat Chrei (bottom row: left) and Prasat Thma Dap (bottom row: right) also have lintels on show, lying near to their brick towers. Other sanctuaries nearby include Prasat Kraham, Prasat O'Pong and Prasat Neak Ta. Kazuo Iwase sent me the pictures below and issued a warning about the possibility of uncleared mines in the undergrowth. Click here to read of a recent visit to these temples and to see more pictures.
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