Bakong is located at Roluos south of Preah Ko. Enter and leave the
temple at the east. A modern Buddhist temple is situated to the right
of the east entrance to Bakong. It was build in late ninth century (881)
by king Indravarman I dedicated to Siva (Hindu) followed Prah Ko art
style.BACKGROUND
Bakong was the center of the town of Hariharalaya, a name derived
from the god Hari-Hara; a synthesis of Siva and Visnu. It is a temple
representing the cosmic Mount Meru.
Four levels leading to the Central Sanctuary correspond to the worlds of mythical beings (Nagas, Garudas, Raksasas and Yaksas).
he temple of Bakong is built on an artificial mountain and enclosed
in a rectangular area by two walls. It has a square base with five
tiers. The first, or outside, enclosure (not on the plan) (900 by 700
meters, 2,953 by 2,297 feet) surrounds a moat with an embankment and
causeways on four sides, which are bordered by low Naga balustrades.
The second and smaller enclosure has an entry tower of sandstone and
laterite in the center of each side of the wall. There were originally
22 towers inside the first enclosures. After passing through the entry
tower at the east one comes to a long causeway decorated with large
seven-headed serpents across a moat. Long halls on each side lie
parallel to the eastern wall. They were probably rest houses for
visitors.
Two square-shaped brick building at the northeast and southeast
corners are identified by rows of circular holes and an opening to the
west. The vents in the chimneys suggest these buildings served as
crematoriums. There was originally a single building of this type at the
northwest and southwest corners but today they are completely ruined.
On each side of the causeway just beyond the halls there are two
square structures with four doors. The inscription of the temple was
found in the one on the right.
Further along the causeway, there are two long sandstone buildings
(7) on each side, which open to the causeway. These may have been
storehouses or libraries. To the north and south of the storehouses
receptively there is a square brick sanctuary tower (8). There are two
more on each side of the central platform, making a total of eight.
Decoration on the towers is in brick with a heavy coating of stucco. The
towers, with one door opening to the east and three false doors, have a
stairway on each side, which is decorated with crouching lions at the
base. The two to the east of the central platform have a unique feature,
a double sandstone base, The door entrance and the false doors were
uniformly cut from a single block of sandstone, The decoration on the
false doors is exceptionally fine, especially that on the tower on the
right in the front row, the false door of which has remarkable Kala
handles. The corners of the towers are decorated with female and male
guardians in niches.
Tip: the lintels of the west towers are in the best
condition. A long building with a gallery and a porch opening to the
north (9) is situated close to the western wall (on the left); it is
mostly demolished.
CENTRAL AREA (BASE AND TOWERS)
The square-shaped base (10) has five tiers with a stairway on each of
the four sides and, at the base, a step in the shape of a moonstone.
Remains of a small structure can be seen at the base of the stairway
fairway flanked by two sandstone blocks, which may have held sculpted
figures.
Elephants successively smaller in size stand at the corners of the
first three tiers of the base. The fourth tier is identified by twelve
small sandstone towers, each of which originally contained a linga. The
fifth tier is framed by a molding decorated with a frieze of figures
(barely visible) the ones on the south side are in the best condition.
CENTRAL SANCTUARRY
The Central Sanctuary (11) is visible from each of the five levels
because of the unusual width of the tiers. The sanctuary is square with
four tiers and a lotus-shaped top. Only the base of the original
Central Sanctuary remains. The rest was constructed at a later date,
perhaps during the twelfth century.
PRASAT LOLEI
Lolei is at Roluos, north of Bakong. A modern Buddhist temple is
located in the grounds of Lolei near the central towers.Enter and leave
the temple by the stairs at the east.
Date: End of the ninth century (893)
BACKGROUND
Although Lolei is small it is worth a visit for its carvings and
inscription. The temple of Lolei originally formed an island in the
middle of a Baray (3,800 by 800 meters, 12,467 by 2,625 feet), now dry.
According to an inscription found at the temple the water in this pond
was for use at the capital of Hariralaya and for irrigating the plains
in the area.
LAYOUT
The layout consists of two tiers with laterite enclosing walls and
stairway to the upper level in the center of each side. Lions on the
landings os the stairways guard the temple. A sandstone channel in the
shape of a cross situated in the center of the four towers on the upper
terrace is an unusual feature, the channels extend in the cardinal
directions from a square pedestal for a linga. It is speculated the holy
water poured over the linga flowed in the channels.
CENTRAL SANCTUARIES
Four brick tower with tiered upper portions, arranged in two rows, on
the upper terrace make up the Central Sanctuaries. As the two-north
towers are aligned on the east-west axis, it is possible the original
plan had six towers, which probably shared a common base like that at
Prah Ko.
Tip: The northeast tower is the best preserved. The
entrances of the doors to the towers are cut from a single block of
stone, as at Bakong.
The corners of the towers on the east are decorated with male
guardians holding tridents and those of the west with female divinities
holding flywhisks. They are sculpted in sandstone with a brick casing.
The panels of the false doors have multiple figures. The inscriptions on
the doorframes are exceptionally fine.
The workmanship on the lintels is skilled and the composition
balanced. Some noteworthy depictions are: Indra on an elephant with
figures and Makaras spewing serpents (northeast tower); Visnu riding a
Garuda with a branch of serpents (south-east tower).
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