Temple Info
The Terrace of the Leper King (or Leper King Terrace), Preah Lean Sdach Kumlung) is located immediately north of the Terrace of the Elephants and it can be accessed from the main road. It was built in the Bayon style at end of the 12th century by king Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181-1220), though its modern name derives from a 15th-century sculpture discovered at the site. The statue depicts the Hindu god Yama, the god of death.
The statue was called the "Leper King" because discoloration and moss growing on it was reminiscent of a person with leprosy, and also because it fit in with a Cambodian legend of an Angkorian king Yasovarman I who had leprosy. The name that the Cambodians know him by, however, is Dharmaraja, as this is what was etched at the bottom of the original statue. The U-shaped structure is thought by someone to have been used as a royal cremation site.
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| Leper King's Altar |
The curious name of this terrace "Leper King" refers to a statue of the Leper King that is on the platform of the terrace. The one you see today is a copy. The original is in the courtyard of the National Museum in Phnom Penh. The figure is depicted in a seated position with his right knee raised, a position some art historians consider to be Javanese-style. Its nakedness is unusual in Khmer art.
Who was the Leper King? Mystery and uncertainty surround the origin of the name. The long-held theory that Jayavarman VII was a leper and that is why he built so many hospitals throughout the empire has no historical support whatsoever. Some historians think the figure represents Kubera, the god of wealth, or Yasovaraman I, both of whom were allegedly lepers.
Yasovarman I was an Angkorian king who reigned in 889–910 CE. He was called "Leper King". Yasovarman was a son of King Indravarman I and his wife Indradevi. Yasovarman was said to be a wrestler and inscriptions say he was capable of wrestling with elephants. The inscriptions also say he was capable of slaying tigers with his bare hands. His teacher was the Brahman Vamasiva, part of the Devaraja cult priesthood. Vamasiva's master, Sivasoma, was connected to the Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara.
Temple Facts
Name: Terrace of the Leper King / Preah Ponlea Sdach Komlong (Terrace Of The Leper King)
Date: end of the 12th century
Builder: under Jayavarman VII(reigned 1181-1220)
Dedicated to: Unknown
Style: Bayon style
Getting There
Inside of an ancient temple of Angkor Thom in the north of the terrace of the Elephant and Royal Palace Square.
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