Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BANTEAY SREI
0
20
metres
Galleries
Libraries
Sanctuary Towers
3rd Enclosing Wall
1
Moat
2nd Enclosing Wall
7
2
6
Eastern
Approach
Central
Sanctuary
5
4
3
N
1st Enclosing Wall
Moat
3
Ruined Halls
CARVINGS
1
2
Vishnu as a man-lion
Abduction of Sita (I)
3
4
Ravana shaking Mount Kailasa
Kama & Shiva
5
6
Abduction of Sita (II)
Battle between Valin
& Sugriva
7
Krishna killing Kamsa
In the rainy season, you'll be treated to marvellous reflections of the temple when the
moat within the third enclosure fills. The narrow
second enclosure
is jammed with six
long galleries, each subdivided into rooms that might have been meditation halls.
First enclosure
Virtually no surface within the
first enclosure
remains unadorned, although
unfortunately you're no longer allowed inside the sanctuary towers, and the platform
on which they stand is roped off to protect the carvings.
The carvings on the
sanctuary towers
are almost fussy in their profusion. The niches
around the central sanctuary shelter male
guardians
, while those on the other towers
house serene female
divinities
, complete with elegant
sampots
and elaborate jewellery.
Crouched near the temple steps are more guardians, mythical figures with animal heads
and human bodies (although these are actually reproductions, the originals having been
removed, like many of the best sculptures here, during the French colonial period and
taken to the Guimet museum of Asian art in Paris, where they remain, despite attempts
to have them returned to Cambodia). The
Ramayana
scenes carved on the lintels of the
central tower are particularly fine, featuring, to the west, another depiction of Sita
being carried off by Ravana; and, to the north, the fight between the monkey gods
Valin and Sugriva. The multi-tiered roofs of the towers are decorated with tiny replicas
of the temple towers - meant to be homes for the temple gods.
There are more fine carvings on the east pediment of the
south library
, where Ravana
is shown shaking Mount Kailash; Shiva sits on the mountain's summit with his wife
Parvati, while the forest animals run away in fear. On the west pediment, Parvati can
be seen asking for the aid of Kama, the god of love, after Shiva ignores her offering of a
rosary; she finally wins Shiva's attention and his hand in marriage after Kama obligingly
shoots him with an arrow.
he
north library
is dedicated to Vishnu, and accordingly the carvings focus on him.
The close parallel streaks on the east pediment represent rain pouring down on the
forest, through which Krishna - Vishnu's human incarnation - and his brother make
their way, surrounded by wild animals. Krishna is seen taking revenge on his cruel
uncle, King Kamsa, on the west pediment, with the palace in uproar as Krishna seizes
him by the hair and prepares to kill him.
