Preah Ko Temple
Preah Ko: the ‘sacred bull’
Location: between Bakong and Lolei; on the western side of the road to Bakong
Access: enter and leave the temple from the east
Date: late 9th century (879)
King: Indravarman I (reigned 877-889)
Religion: Hindu (dedicated to Shiva); funerary temple built for the king’s parents, maternal grandparents, and a previous king, Jayavarman II and his wife
Art style: Preah Ko
LAYOUT
The tranquil setting and exquisite decoration of the Preah Ko towers warrant an unhurried visit. Originally square in plan and surrounded by three enclosure walls with gopuras, the complex seems small today because of the dilapidated state of the enclosures. The outer enclosure is 400 by 500 metres (1,312 by 1,640 feet) square with gopuras on the east and west sides. A small terrace (largely destroyed) (1) precedes the laterite gopura at the east. The sandstone pillars and windows of this gopura with thick balusters carved with rings, which give the appearance of being turned like wood, are still in place. The east and west wings lead to a laterite causeway that once stood at the axis of a moat.
Pass through the remains of the gopura and continue walking westward. Long halls or galleries parallel the middle enclosure wall, two each at the east and west, and one each at the north-east and south-east. Bases of these galleries are visible at the east. Straight ahead on the north and south sides of the walkway there are galleries with a porch opening to the east (mostly ruined) (5). An unusual, square, brick building stands between the long hall and the gallery at the south (6). It has a tiered upper portion and a porch opening to the west and is readily distinguished by rows of holes (perhaps for ventilation) and a row of figures of ascetics in niches above the holes on the upper portion of the building. The function of this building is unknown.
Continuing along the walkway in an eastward direction and you come to a brick enclosure wall (7), which has two gopuras at the east and directly opposite on the west (8). They are simple in design with columns and fine lintels depicting Vishnu on a garuda. A step at the entrance in the shape of a moonstone is noteworthy for its graceful form. An important inscription describing the temple foundations was found in the east gopura, which is in a dilapidated state leading through the inner enclosure wall. Beyond it are the two rectangular galleries parallel to the west enclosure wall mentioned above.
As you approach the central area at the east you see the remains of three images of nandi, the ‘happy one1, (a white bull and the mount of Shiva) (9). (KO is the Khmer word for sacred bull). Although only portions of the bulls remain you can discern their original position facing the temple, their crouching stance and study details of these sculpted figures.
CENTRAL AREA
The central area consists of brick towers set towards the east in two rows on a low platform. The shrines of Preah KO are built near ground level – a typical feature of Khmer temples that are dedicated to ancestors. A curious aspect of these is that they are unevenly spaced. In the back row, the north tower is closer to the central tower than the south one. One theory for this unusual arrangement suggests the love two ancestors had for each other in their earthly lives.
Another deviation from symmetry is that the three towers at the east are larger than those on the west; the central one in the east is the largest and set slightly back from the other two. The central tower dominates the eastern row and the north-west tower stands out in the western row. All six towers have four recessed levels at the base.
Each tower contained an image of a Hindu god with whom the deceased was united. The three at the east honoured paternal ancestors of King Indravarman I and are identified by male guardians flanking the doorways, whereas the three at the west honoured his maternal ancestors and have female divinities on each side of the doorways. Three stairways leading onto the raised temple platform are guarded by pairs of sandstone lions. The only other access to the central level is a single stairway on the west side.
The central towers are square in plan with a porch in each of the cardinal directions (11). Each of the six towers of the central group was covered with elaborate stucco. Large areas of the original material are still to be found on the towers. Each door frame is of a simple design and cut in four parts with mitred corners, similar to a typical carpentry joint. The decoration on the western towers is of inferior quality to those in the front row. A curious feature of the centre tower in the back row is that the false door is brick and coated with stucco, whereas the other false doors are of sandstone.
The carved decoration on the false, sandstone doors, lintels and columns of these towers is superb. As you approach the central area, pause to study the overall facades of the three shrines at the east, so beautifully united in design, yet different in decoration.
The carving on the eastern towers is of better quality than that on the western ones.
The beautiful swags of hanging garlands, seen on the lower register of many lintels, are characteristic of the Preah KO art style. Mythical monsters, such as the
kala spewing garlands, are also typical. The kala is a recurring theme in the decoration at Preah KO. Identified by a monster-like head without a lower jaw, the hala spews foliage from its mouth which extends to the north and south sides of the lintel, where it is held by a makara, another mythical monster. Some outstanding cawing includes: the garuda, surmounted by a row of small heads, on the lintels of the central tower at the west; small horsemen and figures mounted on serpents above the doors of the north-east tower.
The columns are intricately decorated with designs combining leaf, floral and geometric elements and divided into registers by carved rings. The male guardians and female divinities are finely cawed and the colour of the grey sandstone contrasts dramatically with the surrounding coloured plaster and red brick background. The male figures of the eastern towers are superb examples of Khmer sculpture. The female divinities in the south-west tower hold a long-stemmed lotus.
Location: between Bakong and Lolei; on the western side of the road to Bakong
Access: enter and leave the temple from the east
Date: late 9th century (879)
King: Indravarman I (reigned 877-889)
Religion: Hindu (dedicated to Shiva); funerary temple built for the king’s parents, maternal grandparents, and a previous king, Jayavarman II and his wife
Art style: Preah Ko
LAYOUT
The tranquil setting and exquisite decoration of the Preah Ko towers warrant an unhurried visit. Originally square in plan and surrounded by three enclosure walls with gopuras, the complex seems small today because of the dilapidated state of the enclosures. The outer enclosure is 400 by 500 metres (1,312 by 1,640 feet) square with gopuras on the east and west sides. A small terrace (largely destroyed) (1) precedes the laterite gopura at the east. The sandstone pillars and windows of this gopura with thick balusters carved with rings, which give the appearance of being turned like wood, are still in place. The east and west wings lead to a laterite causeway that once stood at the axis of a moat.
Pass through the remains of the gopura and continue walking westward. Long halls or galleries parallel the middle enclosure wall, two each at the east and west, and one each at the north-east and south-east. Bases of these galleries are visible at the east. Straight ahead on the north and south sides of the walkway there are galleries with a porch opening to the east (mostly ruined) (5). An unusual, square, brick building stands between the long hall and the gallery at the south (6). It has a tiered upper portion and a porch opening to the west and is readily distinguished by rows of holes (perhaps for ventilation) and a row of figures of ascetics in niches above the holes on the upper portion of the building. The function of this building is unknown.Continuing along the walkway in an eastward direction and you come to a brick enclosure wall (7), which has two gopuras at the east and directly opposite on the west (8). They are simple in design with columns and fine lintels depicting Vishnu on a garuda. A step at the entrance in the shape of a moonstone is noteworthy for its graceful form. An important inscription describing the temple foundations was found in the east gopura, which is in a dilapidated state leading through the inner enclosure wall. Beyond it are the two rectangular galleries parallel to the west enclosure wall mentioned above.As you approach the central area at the east you see the remains of three images of nandi, the ‘happy one1, (a white bull and the mount of Shiva) (9). (KO is the Khmer word for sacred bull). Although only portions of the bulls remain you can discern their original position facing the temple, their crouching stance and study details of these sculpted figures.
CENTRAL AREA
The central area consists of brick towers set towards the east in two rows on a low platform. The shrines of Preah KO are built near ground level – a typical feature of Khmer temples that are dedicated to ancestors. A curious aspect of these is that they are unevenly spaced. In the back row, the north tower is closer to the central tower than the south one. One theory for this unusual arrangement suggests the love two ancestors had for each other in their earthly lives.Another deviation from symmetry is that the three towers at the east are larger than those on the west; the central one in the east is the largest and set slightly back from the other two. The central tower dominates the eastern row and the north-west tower stands out in the western row. All six towers have four recessed levels at the base.
Each tower contained an image of a Hindu god with whom the deceased was united. The three at the east honoured paternal ancestors of King Indravarman I and are identified by male guardians flanking the doorways, whereas the three at the west honoured his maternal ancestors and have female divinities on each side of the doorways. Three stairways leading onto the raised temple platform are guarded by pairs of sandstone lions. The only other access to the central level is a single stairway on the west side.The central towers are square in plan with a porch in each of the cardinal directions (11). Each of the six towers of the central group was covered with elaborate stucco. Large areas of the original material are still to be found on the towers. Each door frame is of a simple design and cut in four parts with mitred corners, similar to a typical carpentry joint. The decoration on the western towers is of inferior quality to those in the front row. A curious feature of the centre tower in the back row is that the false door is brick and coated with stucco, whereas the other false doors are of sandstone.
The carved decoration on the false, sandstone doors, lintels and columns of these towers is superb. As you approach the central area, pause to study the overall facades of the three shrines at the east, so beautifully united in design, yet different in decoration.The carving on the eastern towers is of better quality than that on the western ones.
The beautiful swags of hanging garlands, seen on the lower register of many lintels, are characteristic of the Preah KO art style. Mythical monsters, such as the
kala spewing garlands, are also typical. The kala is a recurring theme in the decoration at Preah KO. Identified by a monster-like head without a lower jaw, the hala spews foliage from its mouth which extends to the north and south sides of the lintel, where it is held by a makara, another mythical monster. Some outstanding cawing includes: the garuda, surmounted by a row of small heads, on the lintels of the central tower at the west; small horsemen and figures mounted on serpents above the doors of the north-east tower.
The columns are intricately decorated with designs combining leaf, floral and geometric elements and divided into registers by carved rings. The male guardians and female divinities are finely cawed and the colour of the grey sandstone contrasts dramatically with the surrounding coloured plaster and red brick background. The male figures of the eastern towers are superb examples of Khmer sculpture. The female divinities in the south-west tower hold a long-stemmed lotus.
Preah Ko Temple was the first temple to be built in the ancient and now defunct city of Hariharalaya (in the area that today is called Roluos), some 15 kilometers south-east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia. The temple was built under the Khmer King Indravarman I in 879 to honor members of the king's family, whom it places in relation with the Hindu deity Shiva.
Etymology of Preah Ko Temple
Preah Ko (Sacred Bull) derives its name from the three statues of sandstone located in the front of and facing the temple's central towers. These statues represent Nandi, the white bull who serves as the mount of Shiva.
History of Preah Ko Temple
After the Khmer king Jayavarman II founded the Khmer empire in 802 A.D., he finally established his capital at Hariharalaya. Indravarman I was the nephew of Jayavarman II. When he ascended to the throne, he ordered the construction first of Preah Ko, which was dedicated in 879, and later of the temple-mountain known as the Bakong. It is likely that this building program was made possible by the king's peaceful reign and his ability to draw income from the expanding empire. A restoration of the towers took place in early 1990s, financed by German government.
The Site of Preah Ko Temple
Preah Ko consists of six brick towers arranged in two rows of three towers each perched on a sandstone platform. The towers face east, and the front central tower is the tallest. The sanctuaries are dedicated to three divinized forefathers of Indravarman and their respective wives. The front central tower is dedicated to Jayavarman II, the founder of the Khmer empire. The tower to the left is dedicated to Prithivindreshvara, King Indravarman's father; the tower to the right to Rudreshvara, his grandfather. The three rear towers are dedicated to the wives of these three men. The central towers all bear images of the Hindu god Shiva.
Etymology of Preah Ko Temple
Preah Ko (Sacred Bull) derives its name from the three statues of sandstone located in the front of and facing the temple's central towers. These statues represent Nandi, the white bull who serves as the mount of Shiva.
History of Preah Ko Temple
After the Khmer king Jayavarman II founded the Khmer empire in 802 A.D., he finally established his capital at Hariharalaya. Indravarman I was the nephew of Jayavarman II. When he ascended to the throne, he ordered the construction first of Preah Ko, which was dedicated in 879, and later of the temple-mountain known as the Bakong. It is likely that this building program was made possible by the king's peaceful reign and his ability to draw income from the expanding empire. A restoration of the towers took place in early 1990s, financed by German government.
The Site of Preah Ko Temple
Preah Ko consists of six brick towers arranged in two rows of three towers each perched on a sandstone platform. The towers face east, and the front central tower is the tallest. The sanctuaries are dedicated to three divinized forefathers of Indravarman and their respective wives. The front central tower is dedicated to Jayavarman II, the founder of the Khmer empire. The tower to the left is dedicated to Prithivindreshvara, King Indravarman's father; the tower to the right to Rudreshvara, his grandfather. The three rear towers are dedicated to the wives of these three men. The central towers all bear images of the Hindu god Shiva.
Preash Ko Map
Six towers displaying set on a platform, all beautifully preserved carvings. Originally surrounded by walls and gopuras of which only vestiges remain. Preah Ko was one of the first major temples of the empire at the early Khmer capital of Hariharalaya. Preah Ko (Sacred Bull) derives its name from the statues of bulls at the front of the central towers.
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