Prasat Kravan ( km, ប្រាសាទក្រវាន់) is a small 10th-century temple consisting of five reddish brick towers on a common terrace, at

Angkor Angkor ( km, អង្គរ , 'Capital city'), also known as Yasodharapura ( km, យសោធរបុរៈ; sa, यशोधरपुर),Headly, Robert K.; Chhor, Kylin; Lim, Lam Kheng; Kheang, Lim Hak; Chun, Chen. 1977. ''Cambodian-Engl ...

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

, south of the artificial lake (

baray A ''baray'' ( km, បារាយណ៍) is an artificial body of water which is a common element of the architectural style of the Khmer Empire of Southeast Asia. The largest are the East Baray and West Baray in the Angkor area, each rectangula ...

) called Srah Srang. Its original

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

name is unknown. The modern name in Khmer, "Prasat Kravan", means ''

artabotrys odoratissimus ''Manoranjitham,'' the climbing ylang-ylang, is a shrub found in India through to Burma, southern China and Taiwan, having flowers that are renowned for their exotic fragrance. It is also called ylang-ylang vine or tail grape in English, with a v ...

'' temple. The temple was dedicated to

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

in 921 CE,Higham, C., 2001, ''The Civilization of Angkor'', London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, according to an inscription on doorjambs. Glaize 1993, p.153 The site was cleaned from vegetation in the 1930s by

Henri Marchal Henri Marchal (June 24, 1876 – April 10, 1970) was a French architect and civil servant. He devoted a great part of his life to research on the art and archeology of Cambodia and the conservation and restoration of Khmer architecture, Khmer mon ...

and Georges Trouvé. Afterwards the towers were restored on

Bernard Philippe Groslier Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "brave ...

's initiative from 1962 to 1966, adding some new bricks which are marked with a "CA" (meaning "Conservation Angkor"). The temple is oriented to the east and surrounded by a small moat. Its exterior is striking for its classical lines and symmetry. The central and the south tower have superstructures which take advantage of false perspective by simple means of diminishing tiers. The sanctuary's interiors are remarkable for the large

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

depictions of

and

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

that have been carved into the walls of reddish brick, connected by a vegetable compound. This type of sculptured artwork is rather common in Cham temples, but rare in known Khmer monuments.

Bas-reliefs

The bas-reliefs on the interior walls of the central tower are representations of Vishnu. There are three in all: * Four-armed Vishnu sits astride his vehicle

Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...

and holding his standard appurtenances: the globe, the conch, the discus, and the baton. * Four-armed Vishnu, again holding his four standard appurtenances, takes a large step. This image illustrates the story of Vishnu in his incarnation as

Vamana Vamana (), also known as Trivikrama (), Urukrama (), Upendra (), Dadhivamana (), and Balibandhana () is an avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. He is the fifth avatar of Vishnu, and the first Dashavatara in the Treta Yuga, after Narasimha. O ...

the dwarf taking three great steps to reclaim the world from the

asura Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings in Indian religions, Indic religions. They are described as power-seeking clans related to the more benevolent Deva (Hinduism), Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhism, Buddhi ...

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

. * Eight-armed Vishnu stands stiffly in the position of a statue. He is surrounded by hundreds of tiny devotees and surmounted by a crocodile or a lizard. Its significance remains unknown. Freeman, Jacques 2006, p.154 Prasat Kravan Garuda

The interior walls of the northernmost tower feature a pair of bas-reliefs of

, Vishnu's consort, flanked by devotees: * In one of the depictions, the goddess holds the

trident A trident is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in classical mythology. The trident may occasionally be held by other marine ...

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

and the discus of Vishnu, possibly marking her as the great goddess who transcends the duality of Saiva and Vaishnava worship. * A more traditional depiction of Lakshmi holding lotuses is on the opposite wall.

Gallery

File:Prasat Kravan, Angkor, Camboya, 2013-08-16, DD 01.JPG File:Prasat Kravan Temple.jpg File:Prasat Kravan - Vasters 0341 (6597697955).jpg File:Prasat Kraven - Laksmi (4189746689).jpg File:Prasat Kraven - Laksmi (4189746407).jpg File:Prasat Kraven- Vishnu en 2014.jpg

References

Notes

* *

External links

photos of details of Prasat Kravan
M.A. Sullivan on Bluffton University website {{SiemReapProvince Hindu temples in Siem Reap Province Angkorian sites in Siem Reap Province