Bakong is located at Roluos south of Preah Ko. Enter and
leave the temple at the east. A modern Buddhist temple is situated to the right
of the east entrance to Bakong. It was build in late ninth century (881) by
king Indravarman I dedicated to Siva (Hindu) followed Prah Ko art style.
BACKGROUND
Bakong was the center of the town of Hariharalaya , a name derived from the god
Hari-Hara; a synthesis of Siva and Visnu. It is a temple representing the
cosmic Mount Meru
Four levels leading to the Central Sanctuary correspond to
the worlds of mythical beings (Nagas, Garudas, Raksasas and Yaksas).
LAYOUT
The temple
of Bakong
The second and smaller enclosure has an entry tower of
sandstone and laterite in the center of each side of the wall. There were
originally 22 towers inside the first enclosures. After passing through the
entry tower at the east one comes to a long causeway decorated with large seven-headed
serpents across a moat. Long halls on each side lie parallel to the eastern wall.
They were probably rest houses for visitors.
Two square-shaped brick building at the northeast and
southeast corners are identified by rows of circular holes and an opening to
the west. The vents in the chimneys suggest these buildings served as crematoriums.
There was originally a single building of this type at the northwest and
southwest corners but today they are completely ruined.
On each side of the causeway just beyond the halls there are
two square structures with four doors. The inscription of the temple was found
in the one on the right.
Further along the causeway, there are two long sandstone
buildings (7) on each side, which open to the causeway. These may have been
storehouses or libraries. To the north and south of the storehouses receptively
there is a square brick sanctuary tower (8). There are two more on each side of
the central platform, making a total of eight. Decoration on the towers is in
brick with a heavy coating of stucco. The towers, with one door opening to the
east and three false doors, have a stairway on each side, which is decorated
with crouching lions at the base. The two to the east of the central platform
have a unique feature, a double sandstone base, The door entrance and the false
doors were uniformly cut from a single block of sandstone, The decoration on
the false doors is exceptionally fine, especially that on the tower on the
right in the front row, the false door of which has remarkable Kala handles. The
corners of the towers are decorated with female and male guardians in niches.
Tip: the lintels of the west towers are in the best
condition. A long building with a gallery and a porch opening to the north (9) is
situated close to the western wall (on the left); it is mostly demolished.
CENTRAL AREA (BASE AND TOWERS)
The square-shaped base (10) has five tiers with a stairway
on each of the four sides and, at the base, a step in the shape of a moonstone.
Remains of a small structure can be seen at the base of the stairway fairway
flanked by two sandstone blocks, which may have held sculpted figures.
Elephants successively smaller in size stand at the corners
of the first three tiers of the base. The fourth tier is identified by twelve
small sandstone towers, each of which originally contained a linga. The fifth
tier is framed by a molding decorated with a frieze of figures (barely visible)
the ones on the south side are in the best condition.
CENTRAL SANCTUARRY
The Central Sanctuary (11) is visible from each of the five
levels because of the unusual width of the tiers. The sanctuary is square with
four tiers and a lotus-shaped top. Only the base of the original Central
Sanctuary remains. The rest was constructed at a later date, perhaps during the
twelfth century.
PRASAT LOLEI
Lolei is at Roluos, north of Bakong. A modern Buddhist
temple is located in the grounds of Lolei near the central towers.Enter and
leave the temple by the stairs at the east.
Date: End of the ninth century (893)
Religion: Transitional between Prah Ko and Bakheng
BACKGROUND
Although Lolei is small it is worth a visit for its carvings
and inscription. The temple of Lolei originally formed an island in the middle
of a Baray (3,800 by 800 meters, 12,467 by 2,625 feet), now dry. According to
an inscription found at the temple the water in this pond was for use at the
capital of Hariralaya and for irrigating the plains in the area.
LAYOUT
The layout consists of two tiers with laterite enclosing
walls and stairway to the upper level in the center of each side. Lions on the
landings os the stairways guard the temple. A sandstone channel in the shape of
a cross situated in the center of the four towers on the upper terrace is an
unusual feature, the channels extend in the cardinal directions from a square
pedestal for a linga. It is speculated the holy water poured over the linga
flowed in the channels.
CENTRAL SANCTUARIES
Four brick tower with tiered upper portions, arranged in two
rows, on the upper terrace make up the Central Sanctuaries. As the two-north towers
are aligned on the east-west axis, it is possible the original plan had six
towers, which probably shared a common base like that at Prah Ko.
Tip: The northeast tower is the best preserved. The
entrances of the doors to the towers are cut from a single block of stone, as
at Bakong.
The corners of the towers on the east are decorated with
male guardians holding tridents and those of the west with female divinities
holding flywhisks. They are sculpted in sandstone with a brick casing. The
panels of the false doors have multiple figures. The inscriptions on the
doorframes are exceptionally fine.
The workmanship on the lintels is skilled and the
composition balanced. Some noteworthy depictions are: Indra on an elephant with
figures and Makaras spewing serpents (northeast tower); Visnu riding a Garuda
with a branch of serpents (south-east tower).
