Many temples were built in Sambo Preykuk during the reign of King Isanavarman I (AD 616- 635) in the 7th century. The temples of Sambo Preykuk constructed of solid brick, laterite and sandstone and decorated by bas-reliefs. The lintel, pillars and the door frames are all made of sandstone. So far, 140 temples have been discovered in the forest.
Sambor Prei Kuk, located near Kompong Thom, 150km south-east of Siem Reap, lies off the main road towards Cambodia?s capital Phnom Penh. Kompong Thom is a sleepy little town. The only hive of activity was the market place next to the Stung Sen River where we bought some brown palm sugar and Cambodian fragrant rice. The local ?taxi? was actually an open-air wooden cart pulled by an antiquated motorbike. Its owner was an elderly man wearing spectacles with thick lenses.
The journey to Sambor Prei Kuk was once fascinating in itself. We noticed no other cars rather than a lone villager cycling into city, his bicycle weighted down with hand-made straw baskets. Our van kicked up thick purple dirt as we sped on the laterite avenue. A lady scrubbing her garments neighborhood was oblivious to the dust that swept over her.
Lest you entertain pictures of grand temple ruins akin to the grandeur of the top notch Angkor Wat, you?D be disenchanted. Sambor Prei Kuk is a group of ancient temple ruins scattered inside a shady woodland. Initially referred to as Isanapura, it pre-dates Angkor Wat and was once the capital metropolis for the period of the reign of King Isana Varman 1, the son of King Citrasena. Few tourists recognize of it. The only ?Horde? Right here was once a gaggle of Cambodian kids who rushed to our bus, hawking brightly-colored homespun scarves at US$1(RM3.50) each and every. Built at the finish of the 6th century, the ruins are touted to be one of the vital oldest structures in the nation, masking an area of 5sq km.
About a hundred small temples are scattered during the woodland. Left in the open and no longer maintained, one of the structures are simply mere remnants of their common building ? Possibly a damaged wall here, a vine-choked edifice there. There are 52 temples in recognisable condition, and an additional 52 sites the place the long-established structures at the moment are buried within the ground, seen simplest as small hills.
All isn't lost. The Ministry of culture and pleasant Arts along with the Waseda college, supported by using The foundation for Cultural Heritage and the Sumitomo Fund have started the Sambor Prei Kuk Conservation undertaking to revive these ruins.
The major temple group often called Prasat Sambor is committed to Gambhireshvara, one among Shiva?S many types. Probably the most towers still hold their carvings. Many are mere ruins now blanketed by way of vegetation.
As we walked extra, enjoying the cool serenity of the shady trees, the small group of little one peddlers had grown to twenty. The usual band promoting scarves had been joined via older children hawking bracelets and trinkets. They had been very persistent, dropping their costs to practically 1 / 4 of the fashioned as we neared the end of our seek advice from. Sambor Prei Kuk does not match the splendour of Angkor Wat. Yet its serene forests and solitude make a so much welcome exchange from the human masses of its noted cousin.
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