Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Sanctuary of
Preah Noreay
Library
Carving of
Vishnu
Carving of
woman being
trampled
Carving of
midwife's tale
Central
Sanctuary
Entrance
Reclining
Buddha
Library
TONLE BATI
TA PROHM
site of a sixth-century shrine, it's dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva (though
Jayavarman eventually adopted Theravada Buddhism). The main entrance is from the
east along a short laterite causeway, edged by flowers and shrubs; piled up to the side at
the entrance are broken chunks of masonry, some elaborately carved with scenes from
the Churning of the Ocean of Milk (see p.169) or the
Ramayana
(see box, p.65).
The sanctuaries
At the centre of the inner enclosure are the temple's five
sanctuaries
, its antechambers
built in a cruciform shape, with shrines to the cardinal directions. Above the entrance,
a carved stone image of a reclining Buddha has been colourfully coated in paint. The
main sanctuary
, of sandstone, contains an upright Buddha image, while the
antechambers house damaged stone linga. Another image of Buddha, over the north
arm of the cruciform, has been superimposed with a carving of a six-armed Vishnu, a
change probably made when the Angkorian kingdom reverted to Hinduism after the
death of Jayavarman VII.
Well-preserved
carvings
decorate the outside of the sanctuary and several tell unusual
tales. High up on the northeast corner is a scene of two women and a kneeling man: one
woman carries a basket on her head, containing the afterbirth from her recent
confinement; the midwife, shown standing, was not given su
cient respect during the
birth and has condemned the new mother to carry the basket for the rest of her life; her
husband is shown begging for forgiveness. The corresponding spot on the northwest
corner shows a king sitting next to his wife, who is said to have been unfaithful; below
she is put to death by being trampled by a horse.
The north gopura
The north gopura once contained a statue of
Preah Noreay
, a Hindu deity who is said
to bestow fertility upon childless women; although the statue is still undergoing
restoration at the National Museum (minus his feet which are still in the gopura),
women continue to arrive here to seek his help.
