Srah Srang on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Srah Srang ( km, ស្រះស្រង់, "Royal Bath") is a
Photos of Srah Srang
by M.A.Sullivan on Bluffton University website {{coord, 13, 25, 51.60, N, 103, 54, 24.15, E, region:KH-17_type:landmark_source:dewiki, display=title Angkorian sites in Siem Reap Province
Srah Srang ( km, ស្រះស្រង់, "Royal Bath") is a 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 rectangu ...
or reservoir 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 Thailan ...
, located south of the East Baray
The East Baray ( km, បារាយណ៍ខាងកើត), or Yashodharatataka, is a now-dry baray, or artificial body of water, at Angkor, Cambodia, oriented east-west and located just east of the walled city Angkor Thom. It was built around ...
and east of Banteay Kdei
Banteay Kdei ( km, ប្រាសាទបន្ទាយក្តី; Prasat Banteay Kdei), meaning "A Citadel of Chambers", also known as "Citadel of Monks' cells", is a Buddhist temple in Angkor, Cambodia. It is located southeast of Ta Proh ...
.
History
Sras Srang was dug in the mid-10th century, by initiative of Kavindrarimathana, Buddhist minister ofRajendravarman 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 ...
. It was modified around the year 1200 by Jayavarman VII
Jayavarman VII, posthumous name of Mahaparamasaugata ( km, ជ័យវរ្ម័នទី៧, c. 1122–1218), was king of the Khmer Empire. He was the son of King Dharanindravarman II (r. 1150–1160) and Queen Sri Jayarajacudamani.
He w ...
, who added the laterite landing-stage at its western side, probably because the East Baray
The East Baray ( km, បារាយណ៍ខាងកើត), or Yashodharatataka, is a now-dry baray, or artificial body of water, at Angkor, Cambodia, oriented east-west and located just east of the walled city Angkor Thom. It was built around ...
had been overwhelmed by sediment and had begun malfunctioning.
French archeological expeditions have found a necropolis close to it.Courbin, Paul. ''Les fouilles du Sras Srang'' in Dumarçay, Jacques. ''Documents graphiques de la Conservation d'Angkor, 1963-1972''. EFEO. 1988
The site
At present Srah Srang measures 700 by 350 m and is still partially flooded. As other barays, maybe there was a temple standing on an artificial island in the middle of it, as suggested by finding of a basement. The landing-stage, opposite the entrance to Banteay Kdei, is a popular site for viewing the sunrise. It is cruciform, flanked bynāga
The Nagas (IAST: ''nāga''; Devanāgarī: नाग) are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human or part-human form, or are so depicted in art. ...
balustrades which end with the upright head of a serpent, mounted by a 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 ...
with its wings unfurled. The steps that lead down to the water are flanked by two guardian lions.
A 1600 sq. meter cemetery was discovered at the north-west corner of the reservoir. Mortuary jars containing cremated remains and other artifacts dating from the reign of Udayadityavarman II
Udayadityavarman II ( km, ឧទ័យាទិត្យវរ្ម័នទី២) ruled the Angkor Kingdom from 1050 to 1066 A.D. He was the successor of Suryavarman I but not his son; he descended from Yasovarman I's spouse.
He built the B ...
were excavated by B.P. Groslier.Higham, C., 2001, The Civilization of Angkor, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson,
Notes
References
* Dumarçay, Jacques et al. ''Cambodian Architecture, Eight to Thirteenth Century''. 2001. . * Freeman, Michael. Jacques, Claude. ''Ancient Angkor''. River Books 2006. . *External links
Photos of Srah Srang
by M.A.Sullivan on Bluffton University website {{coord, 13, 25, 51.60, N, 103, 54, 24.15, E, region:KH-17_type:landmark_source:dewiki, display=title Angkorian sites in Siem Reap Province