More off-the-beaten-track Angkor Temples
The sheer number of ancient temple sites, along with the limited time-frames available to the majority of visitors, mean that many of the smaller and more off-the-beaten-track Angkor temples remain almost completely overlooked.
You certainly can’t see all the sites in a single visit, even with a 3-day pass – there’s little point in trying to do so either – and we reckon that our All Points East Angkor itinerary, fine tuned over many years, provides a good cross section of sites. These include differing styles, periods, settings and states of repair as well as combining several of these lesser-known sites with the most famous, iconic ones, yet without trying to cram in too much or simply dashing from temple to temple ticking off a list.
However, driving through the vast Angkor Archeological Park the other day reminded us of just how many of these fabulous ancient sanctuaries we hadn’t had the opportunity to visit in a long, long time. The following day then, armed with a one-day entrance ticket, we headed off with a tuk-tuk driver friend to explore some of these remoter, off-the-beaten-track Angkor temples and a fascinating and rewarding day it was too.
All the temples we visited are situated within the boundaries of the Archeological Park and easily accessible so no dirt tracks, wading through paddy-fields or warning mines signs were involved. In geographical order on our clockwise route then…
Prasat Banteay Prei
Situated just 100m north of the similarly named Prasat Prei and a short distance northeast of the huge Preah Khan complex, this late 12th century, Bayon-style, sandstone temple is largely intact, displays some excellent carvings and comes with a picturesque, forest setting. Although the sanctuary is small when compared to some of the other Jayavarman VII sites such as Ta Prom, the aforementioned Preah Khan and of course Bayon, it is actually an extensive site comprising 3 enclosing walls and courtyards, a surrounding moat and a cruciform-shaped central shrine. A number of well-preserved devata or minor goddess reliefs (often mistakenly called apsaras) remain along with several pediments depicting the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Lokesvara).
Prasat Banteay Prei, Angkor – view from the east Prasat Prei
As mentioned, this smaller, albeit similarly named, sanctuary sits a mere 100m south of Banteay Prei, just off what is today known as the Grand Circuit. (Along with the Small Circuit, this forms one of the two principal temple itinerary routes popularised during the French era and early days of Angkor tourism. (1) The 17 kilometre, shorter, route includes the so-called main temples of Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prom while the Grand Circuit weighs in at some 27 kilometres and includes the sites north and east of Angkor Thom such as Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, Prei Rup etc)
The miniature temple of Prasat Prei dates to the same late-12th century period as its neighbour and consists of a sandstone inner shrine enclosed by a laterite wall and entrance gate or gopura. The restored central shrine still features some intact reliefs as well as possessing another picturesque backdrop of mature trees. Located atop a small rise or low hill, the sanctuary lacks any outer wall or surrounding moat. The motivation in commissioning two such sanctuaries a stone’s throw apart remains unfathomable – known only to Jayavarman VII himself.
Prasat Prei Neak Pean
This east-west stretch of the now sealed Grand Circuit route lies over what was originally the northern embankment of King Jayavarman VII’s huge reservoir or baray, the Jayatataka. (Veal Reach Dak in Khmer.) At its western end is the vast Preah Khan complex, Prasat Ta Som sits just beyond the eastern embankment while the reservoir’s central feature is the unique island temple of Neak Pean or Neak Poan. The site, actually more monument than temple, is today reached by a boardwalk from the northern embankment close to Prasat Krol Ko, yet another of the series of small Bayon-period temples lining the northern side of the Jayatataka.
The centrally located, man-made island housing Neak Pean features in turn a square pond in the centre of which is an unusual circular shrine. Four additional, adjacent shrines and small ponds correspond to the cardinal points. Visitors can no longer access the central or subsidiary shrines making it difficult to admire the reliefs while the unique style of the site does make it a very popular one for tourists so this is one site we’d normally sacrifice in favour of quieter ones. However, as we hadn’t stopped there in some 25 years we thought we’d better take a look.
The unusual circular shrine at Neak Pean Prasat Krol Ko
Contemporary with and similar in style to Prasat Prei, Krol Ko also lies a 100m or so north of the Jayatataka’s northern embankment and Grand Circuit Route but hidden amid a copse of tall trees is another temple that’s often overlooked. Curiously, the temple is slightly offset to the east of Neak Pean so doesn’t correspond to the reservoir’s median line as might have been expected.
Style and layout are typical of other small, late 12th century sanctuaries in the area although placed on flat ground it does feature a secondary enclosing wall which is absent at Prasat Prei. The sanctuary hasn’t received the same extensive restoration efforts seen at some of its neighbours and most of the best preserved reliefs today lie on the ground rather than in situ. Nonetheless, the site is quiet and the setting attractive so, in our opinion, well worth a stop.
Picturesque Prasat Krol Ko Ta Som
Next up on the Grand Circuit, at the eastern end of the 3.5 kilometre Jayatataka, lies Prasat Ta Som. This largely sandstone sanctuary is certainly the best-known of the string of Jayavarman VII Buddhist sanctuaries lining the reservoir and rivals Banteay Prei in size. Once again, the temple is situated immediately east of the embankment but as with Krol Ko, is unexpectedly offset from the central point, this time slightly to the north.
The eastern gate of the temple used to feature a well-placed and highly photogenic ficus tree (see side image) which formed one of the Angkor Park’s most iconic views but which had to be removed several years ago to ensure the structure’s integrity. Today the main draw is the presence on the entrance towers of the carved, and equally iconic, Bayon-style, faces.
The temple was dedicated by Jayavarman VII to his father, Dharindravarman II and once again comes with a scenic forest setting.
Ta Som Banteay Samre
For the last of our off-the-beaten-track Angkor temples of the day we headed east to the large but surprisingly little-visited Banteay Samre temple. A change of style and indeed religion is involved here as the sandstone sanctuary dates to the first half, rather than end of the 12th century and is a Hindu rather than Buddhist site.
Overall, the architectural style is typical of the Angkor Wat period and so can be assigned to the reign of Suryavarman II, although it has been remarked that certain reliefs depict Buddhist scenes. As these ‘frills’ were presumably the last elements of the temple to be completed it seems probable that work continued into at least the subsequent reign of Dharindravarman II, father of the Mahayana Buddhist king Jayavarman VII.
Furthermore, certain sections remain uncarved, cornices feature crude, laterite nagas rather than sandstone ones and the ubiquitous devatas or apsaras of other Suryavarman II sites such as Beng Melea, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda and Angkor Wat itself are notable by their absence. The impression then is of an ambitious, significant-sized temple project which was rather perfunctorily completed as time, funds or perhaps simply interest, waned.
As is the case with many of these ancient temples, conjecture, hypotheses and weird and wonderful theories to questions, puzzles and mysteries that will never be answered is all part of the fun of visiting these magnificent and often enigmatic sites.
Banteay Samre (1) John Burgess’s book Angkor’s Temples in the Modern Era is a great read on the subject.
