Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
by Jayavarman VII and probably served as his temporary residence while Angkor Thom
was being built. Like Ta Prohm it is a place of towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging
corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, however, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of
preservation thanks to the ongoing restoration efforts of the World Monuments Fund.
The central sanctuary of the temple was dedicated in AD 1191 and a large stone stela
tells us much about Preah Khan's role as a centre for worship and learning. Originally loc-
ated within the first eastern enclosure, this stela is now housed safely at Angkor Conserva-
tion. The temple was dedicated to 515 divinities and during the course of a year 18 major
festivals took place here, requiring a team of thousands just to maintain the place.
Preah Khan covers a very large area, but the temple itself is within a rectangular enclos-
ing wall of around 700m by 800m. Four processional walkways approach the gates of the
temple, and these are bordered by another stunning depiction of the Churning of the
Ocean of Milk, as in the approach to Angkor Thom, although most of the heads have dis-
appeared. From the central sanctuary, four long, vaulted galleries extend in the cardinal
directions. Many of the interior walls of Preah Khan were once coated with plaster that
was held in place by holes in the stone. Today, many delicate reliefs remain, including
rishi
and
apsara
carvings.
The main entrance to Preah Khan is in the east, but most tourists enter at the west gate
near the main road, walk the length of the temple to the east gate before doubling back to
the central sanctuary, and exit at the north gate. Approaching from the west, there is little
clue to nature's genius, but on the outer retaining wall of the east gate is a pair of trees
with monstrous roots embracing, one still reaching for the sky. There is also a curious
Grecian-style two-storey structure in the temple grounds, the purpose of which is un-
known, but it looks like an exile from Athens. Another option is to enter from the north
and exit from the east. Given its vast size, it is sensible to set aside at least 90 minutes to
explore this temple, even two hours.
Preah Khan is a genuine fusion temple, the eastern entrance dedicated to Mahayana
Buddhism with equal-sized doors, and the other cardinal directions dedicated to Shiva,
Vishnu and Brahma with successively smaller doors, emphasising the unequal nature of
Hinduism.
