Thursday, August 10, 2006
Banteay Srei
Banteay Srei is one of the most unusual temples of Angkor, Cambodia. It lies 25 km northeast of the main group. It is built largely of red sandstone, which is covered with elaborate and deeply carved decoration. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a "precious gem", or the "jewel of Khmer art".
Consecrated in 967, Banteay Srei was the only major temple at Angkor not built for the king; instead it was constructed by one of king Rajendravarman's counsellors, Yajnyavahara. The temple was primarily dedicated to Shiva (the southern buildings and the central tower were devoted to him, but the northern ones to Vishnu).
Visiting this one temple costs us US$40. Well, actually it costed Tawfiq USS40 :p
But it really is a worthwhile trip. Banteay Srei has totally different architectural style compared to most of the temples I saw and most of the cravings are still visible even after over a thousand years.
Noticeably, the structures are very much smaller because the temple is built by the king's guru. Hence, it cannot be as big as the king's temples. But when I was walking through some doors, I wondered, "why not smaller doors?"
Because I'm was always in bowing position.
hmm...
