Baksei Chamkrong (; km, ប្រាសាទបក្សីចាំក្រុង, , ) is a small Hindu temple located in the Angkor complex (

Siem Reap Siem Reap ( km, សៀមរាប, ) is the second-largest city of Cambodia, as well as the capital and largest city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. Siem Reap has French colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old F ...

, Cambodia). It is dedicated to Shiva and used to hold a golden image of him. The temple can be seen on the left side when entering

Angkor Thom Angkor Thom ( km, អង្គរធំ ; meaning "Great City"), alternatively Nokor Thom ( km, នគរធំ ) located in present-day Cambodia, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire, Khmer Empire. It was established in ...

at the southern gate. It was dedicated to Yasovarman by his son, King

Harshavarman I Harshavarman I ( km, ហស៌វរ្ម័នទី១; or Rudraloka, died in 923) was an Angkorian king who reigned in 910–923 CE. He is mentioned by David P. Chandler, who is one of the foremost western scholars of Cambodia's modern histor ...

.Higham, C., 2001, The Civilization of Angkor, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, The temple was completed by

Rajendravarman II Rajendravarman II ( km, រាជេន្ទ្រវរ្ម័នទី២) was the king of the Khmer Empire (region of Angkor in Cambodia), from 944 to 968 AD. Rajendravarman II was the uncle and first cousin of Harshavarman. His principal m ...

(944–968).

Name

The name "Baksei Chamkrong" means "The Bird Who Shelters Under Its Wings" and comes from a legend. In it, the king tried to flee Angkor during a siege and then a huge bird landed and sheltered him under its wings.

Description

This temple is one of the first temples constructed of durable material such as

brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

s and

laterite Laterite is both a soil and a rock type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by ...

and with decoration in sandstone. A brick enclosure originally surrounded the pyramid with a stone gopura on the east side is now almost completely disappeared. Much of the stucco on the surface of the temple has vanished. The main sandstone

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...

is decorated with a fine carving of

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

standing on his three-headed elephant Airavata. Garlands emanate from either side of Indra in the style current to the monument. There is an inscription on either side of the small doorway which detail the dedication and praises the early Khmer kings from Jayavarman II onward as well as earlier legendary kings, including the ancestor of the nation, the hermit Kambu.''Ancient Angkor'' guide book by Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques, p.72, published in 2003. The pyramid measures 27 metres across at the base and 15 at the summit for an overall height of 13 metres. Four stairway reach the summit at the cardinal points. The brick sanctuary tower, eight meters square on a sandstone base open to the east with the usual blind doors on the other sides. Bakseichamkronglintel

Gallery

File:Baksei Chamkrong 1.png, Layout File:Baksei Chamkrong 2.png, Location at

File:2016 Angkor, Baksei Chamkrong (09).jpg, Tower File:2016 Angkor, Baksei Chamkrong (12).jpg, Temple entrance File:Baksei Chamkrong-3.JPG, Stairs

References

Hindu temples in Siem Reap Province Angkorian sites in Siem Reap Province {{Hindu-temple-stub

Name

Description

Gallery

See also

References