"Phnom Bakheng is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva located atop a hill in the middle between the Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. Also, known as Yasodharapura capital of King Yasovarman I, the 3rd Capital city of the Khmer empire after the Hariharalaya in the Roluos and the first capital named Mahendraparvata on the slopes of Phnom Kulen mountain in Siem Reap Province."
Temple Info
Phnom Bakheng is a Hindu and Buddhist temple in the form of a temple mountain, dedicated to god Shiva. It was built at the end of the 9th century, during the reign of King Yasovarman (889-910).
The temple is located atop a hill (65-meters-tall on the Bakheng Hill), offering the best panoramic views of the whole area. A feature on many Angkor temple tours, it gets especially crowded towards the end of the day as it is the best place to watch the sunset from, though its location 1.5 km northwest of Angkor Wat also makes it a great spot for an elevated perspective of the more famous temple.
"Stone tower and Angkor Wat far afield"
"Sunset view at atop of the Phnom Bakheng temple"
The temple was constructed two centuries before Angkor Wat. The historians believe that Phnom Bakheng is the first main temple of the Angkor region in the 9th century. It was the architectural centerpiece of new capital, Yasodharapura, that Yasovarman I built when he moved the court from the capital Hariharalaya in the Roluos area located to the southeast. There are 2 other hilltop temples around Siem Reap, dating from the same reign, namely Phnom Krom and Phnom Bok. Phnom Krom to the south near the Tonle Sap Lake, and Phnom Bok, northeast of the East Baray reservoir.
An inscription dated 1052 AD and found at the Sdok Kak Thom temple in present-day Thailand states in Sanskrit: "When Sri Yasovardhana became king under the name of Yasovarman, the able Vamasiva continued as his guru. By the king's order, he set up a linga on Sri Yasodharagiri, a mountain equal in beauty to the king of mountains. Scholars believe that this passage refers to the consecration of the Phnom Bakheng temple approximately a century and a half earlier.
Surrounding the mount and temple, labor teams built an outer moat. Avenue radiated out in the four cardinal directions from the mount. A causeway ran in a northwest-southeast orientation from the old capital area to the east section of the new capital's outer moat and then, turning to an east-west orientation, connected directly to the east entrance of the temple.
Later in its history, Phnom Bakheng was converted into a Buddhist temple. A monumental Sitting Buddha, now lost, was created on its upper tier. Across its west side, a Reclining Buddha of a similar scale was crafted in stone. The outlines of this figure are still visible.
"A center tower on the upper terrace of Phnom Bakheng temple which represents the axis of the world."
"The stone towers stand sorting line in each level of Phnom Bakheng"
"General views of the Phnom Bakheng temple"
The symbolism of Phnom Bakheng is a representation of Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods, a status emphasized by the temple's location atop a steep hill 65 meters above the surrounding plain. The temple is built in a pyramid form of seven levels, representing the seven heavens. At the top level, five sandstone sanctuaries, in various states of repair, stand in a quincunx pattern—one in the center and one at each corner of the level's square. Originally, 108 small towers were arrayed around the temple at ground level and on various of its tiers; most of them have collapsed.
Jean Filliozat of the Ecole Francaise, a leading western authority on Indian cosmology and astronomy, interpreted the symbolism of the temple. The temple sits on a rectangular base and rises in five levels and is crowned by five main towers. One hundred four smaller towers are distributed over the lower four levels, placed so symmetrically that only 33 can be seen from the center of any side. Thirty-three is the number of gods who dwelt on Mount Meru. Phnom Bakheng's total number of towers is also significant. The center one represents the axis of the world and the 108 smaller ones represent the four lunar phases, each with 27 days. The seven levels of the monument represent the seven heavens and each terrace contains 12 towers which represent the 12-year cycle of Jupiter. According to the University of Chicago scholar Paul Wheatley, it is "an astronomical calendar in stone."
Temple Facts
Name: Phnom Bakheng Temple /Prasat Phnom Bakheng
Date: 889-910 A.D. (Late 9th century)
Religion: Hinduism and Buddhism
Built by: King Yasovarman I
Deity: Shiva
Dedicated to: Shiva
Affiliation: Hinduism
Style: Khmer (Bakheng style)
Getting There
Phnom Bakheng is located about 1.3 north of Angkor Wat and only 400m from Angkor Thom. It at the top of the hill which is a popular spot for watching the sunset and sunrise.
If we go from the Siem Reap toward the Angkor Wat temple, and then past the Angkor Wat about 1.5 kilometers along the way to Angkor Thom.
To reach the top of the temple, you will walk climb into the hill through a winding path. A little careful yourself while walking climb the hill or return back due to a huge crowd especially during peak times.
When leaving after the sunset, it will be dark. You’ll see hundreds of tuk-tuks lined up waiting for their customers to return and it might be difficult to locate yours. So, it may be easier to hang back a little and wait for the crowds to disperse.
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