Prasat Sikhoraphum

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Prasat Sikhoraphum

Prasat Sikhoraphum ( Thai ปราสาท ศรี ข ร ภูมิ ; also Prasat Ra Ngaeng , ปราสาท ระ แง ง ) are the ruins of a Khmer temple in the Sikhoraphum district of Surin Province . The province of Surin is located in the northeast region of Thailand , the so-called Isan .

location

Prasat Sikhoraphum is located about 35 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital Surin .

Building history

By the style of sandstone - bas-reliefs of the sanctuary, it can be attributed to the Wat Angkor period dating of the early 12th century. However, some parts of the brick towers were probably renewed by Lao at a later date - probably in the 15th or 16th century .

Attractions

The sanctuary consists of a quincunx arrangement of four prang made of bricks, which are grouped around a central, larger prang. The ensemble is surrounded by a moat. This design is unique for Khmer temples in Thailand and has a cosmological meaning that can otherwise only be found in important state temples such as Pre Rup , Ta Keo or Angkor Wat .

The five towers stand on a low, square base made of laterite and face east. Although brick has been replaced by sandstone as the material for important structures in Cambodia since the eleventh century, there are still a few temples in present-day Thailand that were built from bricks until the second half of the twelfth century.

The special feature today is the sandstone-clad entrance to the central prang. Its pilasters and columns as well as the lintel are still very well preserved. A ten-armed Shiva is dancing in the center of the lintel , around him are his wife Uma and the Hindu deities Vishnu , Brahma and also Shiva's son Ganesha . In the background around the figures there is rich foliage that flows out of the mouth of a kala (also represented by Rahu in Thailand ).

There are almost no decorative elements left on the four smaller towers. Only the arch over a pseudo-door of the southwest tower is protected by a many-headed naga . The heads protrude from the tooth-valued mouths of Makara . Remains of stucco decorations can be seen below the Naga .

  • Impressions from the sanctuary

  • One of the prang

  • Lintel with dancing Shiva

literature

  • Smitthi Siribhadra, Elizabeth Moore: Palaces Of The Gods, Khmer Art & Architecture In Thailand . River Books, Bangkok 1992, ISBN 0-500-97450-0

Web links

Commons : Prasat Sikhoraphum  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 14 ° 56 ′ 43.2 "  N , 103 ° 47 ′ 52.8"  E