Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
once bore a wooden temple, of which only the stone base remains. This is a beautiful
body of water from which to take in a quiet sunrise.
Allow about one hour to visit Banteay Kdei and take in the view over nearby Sra Srang.
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Prasat Kravan
Uninspiring from the outside, the interior brick carvings concealed within its towers are
ranged in a north-south line and oriented to the east, were built for Hindu worship in AD
921. The structure is unusual in that it was not constructed by royalty; this accounts for its
slightly distant location, away from the centre of the capital. Prasat Kravan is just south of
the road between Angkor Wat and Banteay Kdei.
Prasat Kravan was partially restored in 1968, returning the brick carvings to their
former glory. The images of Vishnu in the largest central tower show the eight-armed
deity on the back wall, taking the three gigantic steps with which he reclaimed the world
on the left wall; and riding a
garuda
on the right wall. The northernmost tower displays
bas-reliefs of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi.
THE LONG STRIDER
One of Vishnu's best-loved incarnations was when he appeared as the dwarf Vamana, and proceeded
to reclaim the world from the evil demon king Bali. The dwarf politely asked the demon king for a
comfortable patch of ground upon which to meditate, saying that the patch need only be big enough so
that he could easily walk across it in three paces. The demon agreed, only to see the dwarf swell into a
mighty giant who strode across the universe in three enormous steps. From this legend, depicted at
Prasat Kravan, Vishnu is sometimes known as the 'long strider'.
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Preah Khan
Angkor -a maze of vaulted corridors, fine carvings and lichen-clad stonework. It is a good
counterpoint to Ta Prohm and generally sees slightly fewer visitors. Preah Khan was built
