Prang Sam Yot

Phra Prang Sam Yot ( Thai : พระ ปรางค์ สาม ยอด , lit. "Three Holy Prangs") are three laterite prangs from the Khmer period (11th century) in the old town of Lop Buri , Lop Buri Province . Lop Buri Province is located in the central region of Thailand .

location

Phra Prang Sam Yot are located on a small hill in the center of the old town of Lop Buri directly on the railway line Bangkok - Chiang Mai . Ban Wichayen , the residence of Constantine Phaulkon , is only 400 meters to the west, Phra Narai Ratcha Niwet , the palace of King Narai, is only 500 meters to the southwest.

history

The sanctuary was probably founded in the 13th century by King Jayavarman VII , the king of the Khmer, who also built Angkor .

The original functionality has not yet been finally clarified. Like many temples in Angkor, Prang Sam Yot could originally have been a Hindu temple, with the three towers representing the triad of the Hindu gods Brahma , Vishnu and Shiva .

But since Jayavarman was a Mahayana Buddhist , the symbols could also be interpreted in a Buddhist way: the central prang stands for the Buddha , the southern symbolizes the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara , the future Buddha, while the northern prang represents Prajnaparamita , the Mahayana goddess of wisdom. In the course of history, however, the Prang Sam Yot have also been a Hindu sanctuary, because each of the three towers has a Shiva lingam .

Under King Narai , the shrine was restored and converted into a Buddhist temple. The king built a brick viharn that houses a Buddha statue from the Ayutthaya period.

The three prangs made of sandstone and laterite are connected to one another by covered passages. The middle prang is about 21.5 m high, the other two are slightly lower. Stucco decorations can be seen on the towers and above the entrances .

In 1994 the sanctuary was restored by the Thai Fine Arts Department .

Todays use

Today, the Prang Sam Yot is one of the main tourist attractions and the landmark of Lop Buri. Not necessarily because of the ruins, but because of the monkeys climbing around there. The site is surrounded by a fence, tourists have to pay an entrance fee to be admitted.

swell

Brochure from TAT ( Tourism Authority of Thailand , Central Region Office: Region 7, Lop Buri) on Lop Buri Province

Web links

Commons : Prang Sam Yot - collection of images, videos and audio files

14.802777777778 100.61388888889Coordinates: 14 ° 48 ′ 10 ″ N , 100 ° 36 ′ 50 ″ E