Difference between revisions of "Wat Phou" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox World Heritage Site
 
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|WHS    = Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape
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'''Wat Phou''' (Vat Phu) is a ruined [[Khmer people|Khmer]] temple complex in southern [[Laos]]. It is located at the base of mount Phu Kao, some 6 km from the [[Mekong river]] in [[Champasak Province|Champassak]] province. There was a [[temple]] on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a [[shrine]] where a [[linga]] was bathed in water from a mountain [[spring (hydrosphere)|spring]]. The site later became a centre of [[Theravada Buddhist]] worship, which it remains today.
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'''Wat Phou''' (Vat Phu) is a [[Khmer people|Khmer]] ruined temple complex in southern [[Laos]] located at the base of Mount [[Phu Kao]], {{convert|6|km}} from the [[Mekong river]] in [[Champasak Province|Champassak]] province. Previously named Shrestapura, the city had been the capital of the Chenla and Champa kingdoms. The Mekong river, which had been viewed as symbolic of the Ganges River in India, became the host site for the first Hindu temples during those dynasties.
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{{toc}}
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A Hindu [[temple]] dedicated to [[Shiva]] stood on the site as early as the fifth century C.E., but the surviving structures date from the eleventh to thirteenth centuries. In the eleventh century, during the [[Koh Ker]] and [[Baphuon]] eras, the [[Hindu architecture|temples]] had been rebuilt using the original stones. The [[Hindu temples|temple]] has a unique design, the devotee moving through the entrance to a [[shrine]] where a [[linga]] was bathed in [[sacred water]] from a mountain [[spring (hydrosphere)|spring]]. During the thirteenth century, Wat Phou became a center of [[Theravada Buddhism|Theravada Buddhist]] worship, which it remains today. [[UNESCO]] designated Wat Phou a [[World Heritage Site]] in 2001 as '''Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape.'''
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
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Wat Phou was initially associated with the city of Shrestapura, which lay on the bank of the [[Mekong]] directly east of [[mount]] Lingaparvata (now called Phu Kao).<ref>Projet de Recherches en Archaeologie Lao. ''Vat Phu: The Ancient City, The Sanctuary, The Spring'' (pamphlet)</ref>By the latter part of the 5th century the city was already the capital of a [[monarchy|kingdom]] which texts and inscriptions connect with both [[Chenla]] and [[Champa]], and the first structure on the [[mountain]] was constructed around this time.<ref>Freeman, ''A Guide to Khmer Temples in Thailand and Laos'' p. 200-201.</ref> The mountain gained spiritual importance from the [[linga]]-shaped protuberance on its summit; the mountain itself was therefore considered the home of [[Shiva]], and the river as representing the ocean or the [[Ganges River]].<ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/481.pdf UNESCO Advisor Body Evaluation]</ref>The temple was naturally dedicated to Shiva, while the water from the [[spring (hydrosphere)|spring]] which emerges directly behind the temple was considered sacred.
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[[Shrestapura]], which laid on the bank of the [[Mekong]] directly east of [[Mount Lingaparvata]], had been the original name of the town (now called [[Phu Kao]]) that hosts Wat Phou.<ref>Projet de Recherches en Archaeologie Lao, ''Vat Phu: The Ancient City, The Sanctuary, The Spring'' (pamphlet).</ref>Records and inscriptions indicate that, by the latter part of the fifth century, Shrestapura served as the capital of the [[Chenla]] and [[Champa]] [[monarchy|kingdoms]]. The first temples had been constructed on Mount Lingaparvata during that period.<ref>Freeman, ''A Guide to Khmer Temples in Thailand and Laos,'' 200-201.</ref> Hindu craftsmen adorned Mount Lingaparvata's summit with a [[linga]]-shaped stupa in reverence of [[Shiva]] whom they believe made his home there.<ref>Nations Online, [http://www.nationsonline.org/album/Laos/slides/Vat-Phou_28.htm Main entrance to Vat Phou Temple complex.] Retrieved January 21, 2009.</ref> The Mekong river represented the ocean or the [[Ganges River]].<ref>UNESCO, [http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/481.pdf Advisor Body Evaluation.] Retrieved January 21, 2009.</ref> The temples, also dedicated to Shiva, boast sacred springs near by.  
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[[Image:Watphoupeaklinga03.jpg|left|thumb|220px|The mountain has a natural [[linga]] on its peak.]]
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Wat Phou was a part of the [[Khmer empire]], centered on [[Angkor]] to the southwest, at least as early as the reign of [[Yashovarman I]] in the early tenth century. Shrestapura was superseded by a new city in the Angkorian period, located directly south of the temple.<ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/481.pdf UNESCO Advisor Body Evaluation]</ref> In the later period, the original buildings were replaced, re-using some of the stone blocks; the temple now seen was built primarily during the [[Koh Ker]] and [[Baphuon]] periods of the 11th century. Minor changes were made during the following two centuries, before the temple, like most in the empire, was converted to [[Theravada Buddhist]] use. This continued after the area came under control of the [[Lao people|Lao]], and a festival is held on the site each February. Little restoration work has been done, other than the restoration of boundary posts along the path. Wat Phou was designated a [[World Heritage Site]] in 2001.
+
During the reign of [[Yashovarman I]] in the early tenth century, Wat Phou fell within the boundaries of the [[Khmer empire]], with its capital in [[Angkor]].<ref>Hindu Wisdom, [http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Glimpses_XVIII.htm A Glorious Hindu Legacy: Indic influence in Southeast Asia.] Retrieved January 9, 2009.</ref> The ancient town of [[Shrestapura]] had been replaced by a town whose name had been unrecorded, the predecessor of [[Phu Kao]] in the Angkorian period.<ref>UNESCO, [http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/481.pdf UNESCO Advisor Body Evaluation.] Retrieved January 21, 2009.</ref>  
 +
[[Image:Laos Champasak.png|thumb|right|220px|Map of Laos highlighting the Champassak province, the location of Wat Phou]]
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In the eleventh century, during the [[Koh Ker]] and [[Baphuon]] periods, the temples had been reconstructed using many of the stone blocks from the original temples. Minor renovations had been made between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries. In the thirteenth century, Wat Phou, like most in the empire, converted to [[Theravada Buddhism]]. The [[Lao people|Lao]] continued Wat Phou as a Theravada Buddhist after they took control of the region.
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A festival is held on the site each February. Little restoration work has been done during twentieth and twenty first centuries, with the exception of boundary posts along the paths.  
  
 
==The site==
 
==The site==
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[[Image:Watphouplan01.png|thumb|220px|A plan of Wat Phou: proportions and positions are approximate.]]
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{{wide image|Watphouplan01.png|600px|<center><big>'''Lay out of Wat Phou'''</big></center>}}
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Like most Khmer temples, Wat Phou is orientated towards the east. although the axis actually faces eight degrees south of due east, being determined primarily by the orientation of the mountain and the river. Including the [[Architecture of Cambodia#Srahs and barays|barays]] it stretches 1.4 km east from the source of the spring, at the base of a cliff 100 m up the hill. 6 km east of the temple, on the west bank of the Mekong, lay the city, while a road south from the temple itself led to other temples and ultimately to the city of Angkor.<ref>Lawrence Palmer Briggs, "The ancient Khmer Empire" ''Transactions of the American Philosophical Society'', new ser., v. 41, pt. 1. (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1951), p. 161.</ref>
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 +
[[Image:Watphoupeaklinga03.jpg|right|thumb|180px|The mountain has a natural [[linga]] on its peak.]]
 +
Like most Khmer temples, Wat Phou orientates towards the east. The axis actually faces eight degrees south of due east, determined by adjusting to the the positions of the mountain and the river. Including the [[Architecture of Cambodia#Srahs and barays|barays]], it stretches {{convert|1.4|km}} east from the source of the spring at the base of a cliff {{convert|100|m}} up the hill. The city lays {{convert|6|km}} east of the temple, on the west bank of the Mekong, with other temples and the city of Angkor to the south.<ref>Lawrence Palmer Briggs, "The ancient Khmer Empire," ''Transactions of the American Philosophical Society'' (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1951), 161.</ref>
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Approached from the city (of which little remains), the first part of the temple consists of a number of [[barays]]. Only one contains water, the {{convert|600|by|200|m|1}}middle baray laying directly along the axis of the temples. Reservoirs similar in construction and layout sit north and south of that one, along with another pair on each side of the causeway between the middle baray and the palaces.
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The two palaces stand on a terrace on either side of the axis, known as the "north and south" palaces or the "men's and women's" palaces. The reason they have been designated men's and women's or palaces remains unknown as they had been neither palaces nor used designated by gender. Each palace consisted of a rectangular courtyard with a corridor and entrance on the sides and false doors at the east and west ends. The courtyards of both buildings have [[laterite]] walls; the walls of the northern palace's corridor are also laterite, while those of the southern palace are [[sandstone]]. The northern building is in better condition than the southern building. The palaces have been noted primarily for their pediments and lintels, crafted in the early [[Angkor Wat]] style.<ref>Brajendra Kumar, ''Encyclopaedia of Southeast Asia'' (New Delhi: Akansha Publishing House, 2006), 214.</ref>
  
 +
The next terrace has a small shrine to [[Nandin]] ([[Shiva]]'s mount) to the south, in need of restoration. The road connecting Wat Phou to [[Angkor]] ran south from this temple. Continuing west, successive staircases lead up further terraces; between them stands a dvarapala which, during recent times, has been worshipped as king [[Kammatha]], mythical builder of the temple. The remains of six small shrines destroyed by treasure-hunters litter the narrow, next terrace.
 
[[Image:Wpfacade02a.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The facade of the sanctuary. The Buddha image inside is modern.]]
 
[[Image:Wpfacade02a.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The facade of the sanctuary. The Buddha image inside is modern.]]
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Approached from the city (of which little remains), the first part of the temple reached is a series of [[Architecture of Cambodia#Srahs and barays|barays]]. Only one now contains water, the 600 by 200 m middle baray which lies directly along the temples's axis; there were further reservoirs north and south of this, and a further pair on each side of the causeway between the middle baray and the palaces.
 
  
−
The two palaces stand on a terrace on either side of the axis. They are known as the north and south palaces or, without any evidence, the men's and women's palaces (the term "palace" is also a mere convention &mdash; their purpose is unknown). Each consisted of a rectangular courtyard with a corridor and entrance on the side towards the axis, and [[Architecture of Cambodia#Blind doors and windows|false door]]s at the east and west ends. The courtyards of both buildings have [[laterite]] walls; the walls of the northern palace's corridor are also laterite, while those of the southern palace are [[sandstone]]. The northern building is now in better condition. The palaces are notable chiefly for their pediments and lintels, which are in the early [[Angkor Wat]] style.<ref>Brajendra Kumar, ''Encyclopaedia of Southeast Asia'' (New Delhi: Akansha Publishing House, 2006), p. 214.</ref>
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The path ends with seven sandstone tiers rising to the upper terrace and central sanctuary. The sanctuary has two parts,<ref>Kumar, ''Encyclopaedia of Southeast Asia,'' 214.</ref> with the front section constructed with sandstone boasting four [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] images. The brick rear part stands empty with the central [[linga]] missing. A makeshift covering has been added to the front to replace the collapsed roof.
  
−
The next terrace has a small shrine to [[Nandin]] ([[Shiva]]'s mount) to the south, in poor condition. The road connecting Wat Phou to [[Angkor]] ran south from this temple. Continuing west, successive staircases lead up further terraces; between them stands a dvarapala which has come to be worshipped as king [[Kammatha]], mythical builder of the temple. On the narrow next terrace are the remains of six small shrines destroyed by treasure-hunters.
+
Water from the spring, emerging from the cliff about {{convert|60|m}} southwest of the sanctuary, channeled along stone aqueducts into the rear chamber, continuously bathing the linga. The sanctuary had been constructed at a later date than the north and south palaces, belonging to the [[Baphuon]] period of the later eleventh century. The east side has three doorways: from south to north, their pediments show [[Krishna]] defeating the [[naga (mythology)|naga]] Kaliya; [[Indra]] riding [[Airavata]]; and [[Vishnu]] riding [[Garuda]]. The east wall displays carvings of [[dvarapala]]s and [[devata]]s. Entrances to the south and north have inner and outer [[lintel]]s, including one to the south of Krishna ripping [[Kamsa]] apart.
  
−
[[Image:Wpvishnuongaruda01.jpg|thumb|right|220px|A [[lintel (architecture)|lintel]] showing Vishnu on Garuda, on the north-east wall of the sanctuary.]]The path culminates in seven sandstone tiers which rise to the upper terrace and central sanctuary. The sanctuary is in two parts. The front section, of sandstone, is now occupied by four [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] images, while the brick rear part, which formerly contained the central [[linga]], is empty. The entire roof is missing, although a makeshift covering has been added to the front. Water from the spring which emerges from the cliff about 60 m southwest of the sanctuary was channeled along stone aqueducts into the rear chamber, continuously bathing the linga. The sanctuary is later than the north and south palaces, belonging to the [[Baphuon]] period of the later 11th century. The east side has three doorways: from south to north, their pediments show [[Krishna]] defeating the [[naga (mythology)|naga]] Kaliya; [[Indra]] riding [[Airavata]]; and [[Vishnu]] riding [[Garuda]]. The east wall bears [[dvarapala]]s and [[Architecture of Cambodia#Apsaras and devatas|devata]]s. Entrances to the south and north bear have inner and outer [[Architecture of Cambodia#Lintels and pediments|lintel]]s, including one to the south of Krishna ripping [[Kamsa]] apart.
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Other features of the area include a [[library]], south of the sanctuary, in need of restoration, and a relief of the [[Hindu trinity]] to the northwest.<ref>Kumar, ''Encyclopaedia of Southeast Asia,'' 215.</ref> Carvings further north include a [[Buddha's footprint]] on the cliff-face, and boulders shaped to resemble elephants and a crocodile. Local lore presents the crocodile stone as the site of an annual [[human sacrifice]] described in a sixth century Chinese text. The identification has been considered plausible since the crocodile's dimensions are comparable to a human being.
  
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[[Image:Wpkrishnakillinguncle01.jpg|thumb|right|220px|A lintel showing Krishna killing Kamsa, on the south wall of the sanctuary.]]
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==Gallery==
−
Other features of the area are a [[Architecture of Cambodia#Library|library]], in poor condition, south of the sanctuary, and a relief of the [[Hindu trinity]] to the northwest. There are other carvings further north: a [[Buddha's footprint]] on the cliff-face, and boulders shaped to resemble elephants and a crocodile. The crocodile stone has acquired some notoriety as being possibly the site of an annual [[human sacrifice]] described in a 6th century Chinese text the identification is lent some plausibility by the similarity of the crocodile's dimensions to those of a human.
+
<center>
 +
<gallery>
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Image:Wpkrishnakillinguncle01.jpg|A lintel showing Krishna killing Kamsa, on the south wall of the sanctuary
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Image:Wpvishnuongaruda01.jpg|A [[lintel (architecture)|lintel]] showing Vishnu on Garuda, on the north-east wall of the sanctuary
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Image:Wat Phou South side.jpg|Wat Phou（Southern Palace）
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Image:Vat Phu.jpg|Wat Phu, Laos
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Image:Indra riding Airavata.jpg|Indra riding Airavata, Wat Phou
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Image:Hindu trinity - Wat Phou.jpg|Hindu trinity, Wat Phou
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</gallery>
 +
</center>
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
Line 48: Line 70:
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
<!--* Aymonier, Etienne. 1901. ''Le Cambodge. II, Les provinces siamoises''. Paris: E. Leroux. OCLC 83694549.—>
+
* Briggs, Lawrence Palmer. 1951. ''The Ancient Khmer Empire. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society.'' Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society. OCLC 527144.
−
* Briggs, Lawrence Palmer. 1951. The ancient Khmer Empire. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, new ser., v. 41, pt. 1. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society. OCLC 527144.
+
* Freeman, Michael. 1998. ''A Guide to Khmer Temples in Thailand & Laos''. New York: Weatherhill. ISBN 9780834804500.
−
* Freeman, Michael. 1998. ''A guide to Khmer temples in Thailand & Laos''. New York: Weatherhill. ISBN 9780834804500.
+
* Higham, Charles. 2001. ''The Civilization of Angkor''. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520234420.
−
* Higham, Charles. 2001. ''The civilization of Angkor''. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520234420.
+
* Kumar, Brajendra. 2006. ''Encyclopaedia of Southeast Asia. New Delhi: Akansha Publishing House. ISBN 9788183700733.
−
* Kumar, Brajendra. 2006. Encyclopaedia of Southeast Asia. New Delhi: Akansha Publishing House. ISBN 9788183700733.
 
−
<!--* Marchal, Henri. 1957. ''Le Temple de Vat Phou: province de Champassak''. S.l: Département des Cultes du Gouvernement Royal du Laos. OCLC 14190949.—>
 
−
<!--* Parmentier, Henri. 1913. ''Complément à l'Inventaire descriptif des monuments du Cambodge''. Hanoi: Imprimerie d'Extrême-Orient. OCLC 7058940.—>
 
 
* Parmentier, Henri. 1914. "Le temple de Vat Phu. Vat Nokor. L'architecture interprétée dans les monuments du Cambodge. L'art d'Indravarman. Complément à l'art khmèr primitif. La construction dans l'architecture khèmere classique." ''Bulletin de l'École française d'Extrême-Orient''. Hanoi: Imprimerie d'Extrême-Orient. OCLC 236233048.
 
* Parmentier, Henri. 1914. "Le temple de Vat Phu. Vat Nokor. L'architecture interprétée dans les monuments du Cambodge. L'art d'Indravarman. Complément à l'art khmèr primitif. La construction dans l'architecture khèmere classique." ''Bulletin de l'École française d'Extrême-Orient''. Hanoi: Imprimerie d'Extrême-Orient. OCLC 236233048.
 
* Projet de Recherches en Archaeologie Lao. ''Vat Phu: The Ancient City, The Sanctuary, The Spring'' (pamphlet).
 
* Projet de Recherches en Archaeologie Lao. ''Vat Phu: The Ancient City, The Sanctuary, The Spring'' (pamphlet).
−
* Santoni, M. ''et al.'', "Excavations at Champasak and Wat Phu (Southern Laos), in European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists," Roberto Ciarla, Fiorella Rispoli, and Oscar Nalesini. 1998. South-East Asian archaeology, 1992: proceedings of the ''Fourth International Conference of the European Association of South-East Asian Archaeologists'', Rome, 28th September-4th October 1992. Serie orientale Roma, v. 77. Roma: Istituto italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente, p. 233-63. OCLC 39340733.
+
* Santoni, M., ''et al.'' "Excavations at Champasak and Wat Phu (Southern Laos), in European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists." Roberto Ciarla, Fiorella Rispoli, and Oscar Nalesini. 1998. South-East Asian archaeology, 1992: proceedings of the ''Fourth International Conference of the European Association of South-East Asian Archaeologists.'' Rome, 28th September-4th October 1992. Serie orientale Roma, v. 77. Roma: Istituto italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente. OCLC 39340733.
  
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
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* [http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/culture/Vat_Phou UNESCO Champasak Heritage Management Plan, Bangkok 1999]
+
All links retrieved May 3, 2023.
 +
 
 
* [http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/481.pdf Report on World Heritage Site application]
 
* [http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/481.pdf Report on World Heritage Site application]
−
 
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* [http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Glimpses_XVIII.htm A Glorious Hindu Legacy: Indic influence in Southeast Asia.]
  
 
{{Angkorian sites}}
 
{{Angkorian sites}}
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{{coord missing|Laos}}
 
  
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:Geography]]

Latest revision as of 23:14, 3 May 2023

Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Wat Phou: from left, the south palace, the tiers leading to the central sanctuary, the mountain peak shrouded in mist, and the north palace.
State Party Flag of Laos.svg Lao People's Democratic Republic
Type Cultural
Criteria iii, iv, vi
Reference 481
Region** Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription 2001  (25th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Wat Phou (Vat Phu) is a Khmer ruined temple complex in southern Laos located at the base of Mount Phu Kao, 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) from the Mekong river in Champassak province. Previously named Shrestapura, the city had been the capital of the Chenla and Champa kingdoms. The Mekong river, which had been viewed as symbolic of the Ganges River in India, became the host site for the first Hindu temples during those dynasties.

A Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva stood on the site as early as the fifth century C.E., but the surviving structures date from the eleventh to thirteenth centuries. In the eleventh century, during the Koh Ker and Baphuon eras, the temples had been rebuilt using the original stones. The temple has a unique design, the devotee moving through the entrance to a shrine where a linga was bathed in sacred water from a mountain spring. During the thirteenth century, Wat Phou became a center of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it remains today. UNESCO designated Wat Phou a World Heritage Site in 2001 as Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape.

History

Shrestapura, which laid on the bank of the Mekong directly east of Mount Lingaparvata, had been the original name of the town (now called Phu Kao) that hosts Wat Phou.[1]Records and inscriptions indicate that, by the latter part of the fifth century, Shrestapura served as the capital of the Chenla and Champa kingdoms. The first temples had been constructed on Mount Lingaparvata during that period.[2] Hindu craftsmen adorned Mount Lingaparvata's summit with a linga-shaped stupa in reverence of Shiva whom they believe made his home there.[3] The Mekong river represented the ocean or the Ganges River.[4] The temples, also dedicated to Shiva, boast sacred springs near by.

During the reign of Yashovarman I in the early tenth century, Wat Phou fell within the boundaries of the Khmer empire, with its capital in Angkor.[5] The ancient town of Shrestapura had been replaced by a town whose name had been unrecorded, the predecessor of Phu Kao in the Angkorian period.[6]

Map of Laos highlighting the Champassak province, the location of Wat Phou

In the eleventh century, during the Koh Ker and Baphuon periods, the temples had been reconstructed using many of the stone blocks from the original temples. Minor renovations had been made between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries. In the thirteenth century, Wat Phou, like most in the empire, converted to Theravada Buddhism. The Lao continued Wat Phou as a Theravada Buddhist after they took control of the region.

A festival is held on the site each February. Little restoration work has been done during twentieth and twenty first centuries, with the exception of boundary posts along the paths.

The site

Lay out of Wat Phou
Lay out of Wat Phou
The mountain has a natural linga on its peak.

Like most Khmer temples, Wat Phou orientates towards the east. The axis actually faces eight degrees south of due east, determined by adjusting to the the positions of the mountain and the river. Including the barays, it stretches 1.4 kilometers (0.87 mi) east from the source of the spring at the base of a cliff 100 meters (330 ft) up the hill. The city lays 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) east of the temple, on the west bank of the Mekong, with other temples and the city of Angkor to the south.[7]

Approached from the city (of which little remains), the first part of the temple consists of a number of barays. Only one contains water, the 600 by 200 meters (1,968.5 ft × 656.2 ft) middle baray laying directly along the axis of the temples. Reservoirs similar in construction and layout sit north and south of that one, along with another pair on each side of the causeway between the middle baray and the palaces.

The two palaces stand on a terrace on either side of the axis, known as the "north and south" palaces or the "men's and women's" palaces. The reason they have been designated men's and women's or palaces remains unknown as they had been neither palaces nor used designated by gender. Each palace consisted of a rectangular courtyard with a corridor and entrance on the sides and false doors at the east and west ends. The courtyards of both buildings have laterite walls; the walls of the northern palace's corridor are also laterite, while those of the southern palace are sandstone. The northern building is in better condition than the southern building. The palaces have been noted primarily for their pediments and lintels, crafted in the early Angkor Wat style.[8]

The next terrace has a small shrine to Nandin (Shiva's mount) to the south, in need of restoration. The road connecting Wat Phou to Angkor ran south from this temple. Continuing west, successive staircases lead up further terraces; between them stands a dvarapala which, during recent times, has been worshipped as king Kammatha, mythical builder of the temple. The remains of six small shrines destroyed by treasure-hunters litter the narrow, next terrace.

The facade of the sanctuary. The Buddha image inside is modern.

The path ends with seven sandstone tiers rising to the upper terrace and central sanctuary. The sanctuary has two parts,[9] with the front section constructed with sandstone boasting four Buddha images. The brick rear part stands empty with the central linga missing. A makeshift covering has been added to the front to replace the collapsed roof.

Water from the spring, emerging from the cliff about 60 meters (200 ft) southwest of the sanctuary, channeled along stone aqueducts into the rear chamber, continuously bathing the linga. The sanctuary had been constructed at a later date than the north and south palaces, belonging to the Baphuon period of the later eleventh century. The east side has three doorways: from south to north, their pediments show Krishna defeating the naga Kaliya; Indra riding Airavata; and Vishnu riding Garuda. The east wall displays carvings of dvarapalas and devatas. Entrances to the south and north have inner and outer lintels, including one to the south of Krishna ripping Kamsa apart.

Other features of the area include a library, south of the sanctuary, in need of restoration, and a relief of the Hindu trinity to the northwest.[10] Carvings further north include a Buddha's footprint on the cliff-face, and boulders shaped to resemble elephants and a crocodile. Local lore presents the crocodile stone as the site of an annual human sacrifice described in a sixth century Chinese text. The identification has been considered plausible since the crocodile's dimensions are comparable to a human being.

Gallery

  • A lintel showing Krishna killing Kamsa, on the south wall of the sanctuary

  • A lintel showing Vishnu on Garuda, on the north-east wall of the sanctuary

  • Wat Phou（Southern Palace）

  • Wat Phu, Laos

  • Indra riding Airavata, Wat Phou

  • Hindu trinity, Wat Phou

See Also

Notes

  1. ↑ Projet de Recherches en Archaeologie Lao, Vat Phu: The Ancient City, The Sanctuary, The Spring (pamphlet).
  2. ↑ Freeman, A Guide to Khmer Temples in Thailand and Laos, 200-201.
  3. ↑ Nations Online, Main entrance to Vat Phou Temple complex. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  4. ↑ UNESCO, Advisor Body Evaluation. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  5. ↑ Hindu Wisdom, A Glorious Hindu Legacy: Indic influence in Southeast Asia. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  6. ↑ UNESCO, UNESCO Advisor Body Evaluation. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  7. ↑ Lawrence Palmer Briggs, "The ancient Khmer Empire," Transactions of the American Philosophical Society (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1951), 161.
  8. ↑ Brajendra Kumar, Encyclopaedia of Southeast Asia (New Delhi: Akansha Publishing House, 2006), 214.
  9. ↑ Kumar, Encyclopaedia of Southeast Asia, 214.
  10. ↑ Kumar, Encyclopaedia of Southeast Asia, 215.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Briggs, Lawrence Palmer. 1951. The Ancient Khmer Empire. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society. OCLC 527144.
  • Freeman, Michael. 1998. A Guide to Khmer Temples in Thailand & Laos. New York: Weatherhill. ISBN 9780834804500.
  • Higham, Charles. 2001. The Civilization of Angkor. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520234420.
  • Kumar, Brajendra. 2006. Encyclopaedia of Southeast Asia. New Delhi: Akansha Publishing House. ISBN 9788183700733.
  • Parmentier, Henri. 1914. "Le temple de Vat Phu. Vat Nokor. L'architecture interprétée dans les monuments du Cambodge. L'art d'Indravarman. Complément à l'art khmèr primitif. La construction dans l'architecture khèmere classique." Bulletin de l'École française d'Extrême-Orient. Hanoi: Imprimerie d'Extrême-Orient. OCLC 236233048.
  • Projet de Recherches en Archaeologie Lao. Vat Phu: The Ancient City, The Sanctuary, The Spring (pamphlet).
  • Santoni, M., et al. "Excavations at Champasak and Wat Phu (Southern Laos), in European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists." Roberto Ciarla, Fiorella Rispoli, and Oscar Nalesini. 1998. South-East Asian archaeology, 1992: proceedings of the Fourth International Conference of the European Association of South-East Asian Archaeologists. Rome, 28th September-4th October 1992. Serie orientale Roma, v. 77. Roma: Istituto italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente. OCLC 39340733.

External Links

All links retrieved May 3, 2023.

Angkorian sites
Cambodia
Angkor Angkor Thom · Angkor Wat · Bakong · Baksei Chamkrong · Banteay Kdei · Banteay Samré · Banteay Srei · Baphuon · The Bayon · Chau Say Tevoda · East Baray · East Mebon · Kbal Spean · The Khleangs · Krol Ko · Lolei · Neak Pean · Phimeanakas · Phnom Bakheng · Phnom Bok · Phnom Krom  · Phnom Kulen  · Prasat Ak Yum · Prasat Kravan · Preah Khan · Preah Ko · Preah Palilay · Preah Pithu · Pre Rup · Spean Thma · Srah Srang · Ta Keo · Ta Nei · Ta Prohm · Ta Som · Terrace of the Elephants · Terrace of the Leper King · Thommanon · West Baray · West Mebon · Yasodharapura
Elsewhere Banteay Chhmar · Beng Mealea · Koh Ker · Preah Vihear Banteay Prei Nokor · Sambor Prei Kuk · Phnom Chiso · Wat Nokor · Kuhak Nokor · Phnom Banan · Phnom Bayangkao · Ba Phnom · Tonle Bati · Phnom Chhnok ·
Thailand
Prang Goo · Prang Khaek · Prang Sam Yod · Phnom Rung · Muang Tum · Phimai · Mueang Tam · Mueang Sing · Sdok Kok Thom · Sri Tep historical park Wat Sa Kampaeng Yai
Laos
Wat Phou · Oum Moung
Disputed
Ta Moan complex (Ta Moan · Ta Moan Thom · Ta Moan Touch · Ta Krobey)


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