| Preah
Ko Temple (879 AD)
other
sites in Angkor |
Angkor, Cambodia |
Click on the above
images for larger views.
Preah KO, which
means "the sacred bull" (Shiva's vehicle Nandi), was built by Indravarman I in
879. It is part of the Roluos group of monuments about 13 kilometers east
of Siem Riep. The temple is distinguished from others in the area by the
unusual arrangement of its six central towers, which stand in two rows facing
east. The three towers on the east side are staggered so that the central
tower is slightly further to the west. This tower is dedicated to Shiva,
the Hindu god closely associated with the rule of Jayavarman II, the founder of
the Khmer Empire. The tower to the north was dedicated to the founder of
Preah KO, and the tower to the south was dedicated to the King's father.
Each of these shrines once contained a statue, but they were removed at some time
in the past.
The three towers to the west, which are shorter, were built for the spirits of former queens. According to the archaeologist Jean Laur, who spent a lifetime researching the Angkor monuments, the "octagonal colonettes surrounding the doors are among the finest examples of decorative carving in Khmer art" (Laur, p. 306).
Bibliography:
All images copyright 2000-2001 Professor Robert D. Fiala of Concordia University,
Nebraska, USA
Laur, Jean. Angkor: an Illustrated Guide to the Monuments
Flammarion. Italy. 2002