Angkor's Grand Circuit Road - Touristically known as Grand Tour
The Grand Circuit Road of Angkor branches off the Small Circuit Road at the Royal Square (also known as Victory Square) in front of the Elephant Terrace in Angkor Thom and joins the Small Circuit Road again at the reservoir called Srah Srang. Both intersections, Royal Square and Srah Srang, are also the major restaurant areas in the archaeological zone of Angkor. The distance between both intersections is only 6 km along the Small Circuit Road but 14 km when taking the Grand Circuit Road. The total length of the round tour along the Grand Circuit Road is 25 km when starting and finishing at Angkor Wat or 35 km when starting and finishing at the main junction near Grand Hotel.
The Grand Circuit Road runs from the central car park of Angkor Thom (marked by the red arrow) to Preah Khan temple, then turns eastwards and, running along the reservoir known as Northern Baray and famous for the island temple Neak Pean, to Ta Som temple at the northeasternmost corner. Then turning south, it runs along Eastern Mebon, where the road to Banteay Samré branches off to the east, and then reaches Pre Rup, where it turns west, until joining the other circuit road again at the reservoir known as Srah Srang.
Preah Khan
Preah Khan is the number one temple at the Grand Circuit road in a double sense: It's the largest one and it's the first one you will see after leaving Angkor Thom at the North gate and driving along the Grand Circuit Road in a clockwise direction.
The large compound of Preah Khan can be entered from the east, the north, and the west. A normal way of visiting Preah Khan is to enter it from the west and ask the driver to wait at the eastern car park.
Preah Khan is immensely huge and somewhat labyrinthic. However, there are only few dead-end corridors and the ground plan is recangular with all corridors running east-west or north-south. Should you ever get lost, you will sooner or later find the main east-west axis easily. And you should not miss to discover the hidden gems. Though frequented by large amount of tourists day in and day out, Preah Khan is big enough to find places where you can avoid the crowds.
Preah Khan was much more than a temple. Actually, it was an entire fortified town and served as the capital during the early years of the reign of Jayavarman VII in Angkor, as long as his new even larger capital, Angkor Thom, was under construction. The main complex is a Buddhist monastery, the main shrine of which was dedicated to the king's father in 1191, as the contemporary sister temples Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei were dedicated to his mother and teacher respectively. The lost central statue of Preah Khan was called "Jayavarmeshvara" and may have depicted a Bodhisattva with the face of Jayavarman himself or his father. The main complex had satellite temples dedicated to Hindu deities. Preah Khan also served as a kind of Buddhist university.
Here is a list of highlights you should not miss to see when strolling around in the large compound of Preah Khan:
Apart from lintel and pediment carvings, you will see numerous Buddhist sculptures decorating the walls. Many of them are defaced due to an anti-Buddhist iconoclasm under the Hindu revivalist King Jayavarman VIII. in the second half of the 13th century. Some heads may also have been stolen during the years of civil war. |
The very centre of Preah Khan, where once the Bodhisattva statue once stood, is marked by a stupa, which is a later Theravada Buddhist addition from the 16th century. Strikingly, the interior wall of this central room has numerous holes. They served for fixing gilded bronze plates which once covered the entire walls. 1500 tons of bronze are said to have been used for this decoration of Preah Khan. One standing Buddha in the inner courtyard has remained intact. |
The said inner courtyards, counted as first enclosure, is crowded with elaborately adorned small shrines in a very irregular pattern. These buildings are later additions. The most eyecatching carvings depict rows of Hindu hermits. But two pillars with with a peg on the top are original from the Buddhist Bayon period, as such pillars are known from other temples of Jayavarman VII, too. The symbolism is not clear. |
The same satellite temple of Shiva also carries carvings depicting other Hindu deities. One of the most remarable pediment carvings is a so-called Vishnu Anantashayin, Vishnu reclining on a on a mythical being. It's a depiction of the Vishuite creation myth. But in Indian illustrations of this scene, which is also known as "Birth of Brahma", Vishnu is recling on a serpent, whereas a variant in Khmer art often shows him on a beast with the face of a lion and a small elephant trunk. |
In the northeastern section of the temple proper, to the east of the Shiva temple and to the north of the Hall of Dancers, is one of the most enigmatic edifices in Angkor. The two-storey structure is unique in that it's the only major building in Angkor with cylindrical columns. The structure is said to have housed the namegiving "Sacred Sword", which is the translation of "Preah Khan". |
The Hall of Dancers to the east of the temple proper served the purpose of dancing ceremonies indeed. It's known from inscriptional evidence that the temple employed a thousand professional dancers. Quite artistically carved rows of dancing Apsaras can be seen above several of the doors of the halls. |
Just to the east of the Hall of Dancers is the largest gatehouse of the entire complex. The so-called Eastern Gopuram of the third enclosure carries one of the most iconic strangler figs on its southern wing. Actually, it's not one but two silk-cotton trees, one is still alive and one is dead and had to be cut. There are several noteworthy lintel carvings inside the gatehouse, some of them in situ, others are on display on the ground. |
Further east is an isolated stone construction which is a Vahnigriha, a so-called fire house. The inscription of the foundation stele of Preah Khan mentions that the king ordered the the construction of 121 Vahnigrihas along the major roads of his kingdom. They presumably also served as resthouses, but the Vahnigriha of Preah Khan might have been a ritual building in the first place, presumably visited by travelers prior to starting a journey. |
The avenues in front of the east and of the west entrances are flanked by rows of richly decorated pillars. Each entrance is conssists of causeway crossing the moat and gatehouses with three towers. The causeway is flanked by balustrades in the form of snakes carried by giants. They are similar to those of Angkor Thom, though smaller in size. |
The best time to take a photo of the famous silk cotton trees towering the Eastern Gopuram III of Preah Khan in between 10.00 and 11.00 o'clock in the morning, as it is in the shadow in the earlier morning hours. There is no "best hour" for the entire temple, as there are too many different sections in this large compound. However, it's recommendable to visit it from the east to the west in the morning or from west to east in the afternoon. Regrettably, most Angkor Grand Circuit round tours do it the other way around, just to save driving kilometers, because it requires up-and-down driving between the two gates to allow guests crossing the entire compound to see the temple with the sun from behind.
Prasat Prei & Banteay Prei
Just to the north of Preah Khan, is a small gravel road branching off from the Grand Circuit Road to the north. In only a few hundred meters distance are two temples that are astonishingly rarely visited by tourists. They are called Prasat Prei and Banteay Prei.
Prasat Prei, not to be confused with the temple of the same name to the northwest of Angkor Thom, is a simple structure from the Bayon period of the late 12th century. The major attraction is its sheer location on a small natural hillock. The Prasat has an attached Mandapa to the east. An Eastern Gopuram and a library are in ruins. Some lintel carvings and well-preserved Apsaras are well-preserved. Prasat Prei has one of the few ancient depictions of Thorani; wringing her hair she creates floods that flush away the temptations of the Buddha. The morning is definitely the best time to visit this small temple.
Only 200 m fürther north is the much larger complex of Banteay Prei, which literally translates to "citadel in the jungle". It's a medium-sized temple complex. In layout and style, it is similar to Ta Som and Ta Nei, which are from the same period. Like Ta Som, it has three enclosures. The moat measuring 80 m in length and 60 m in width, is still filled with water. But enclosure galleries, Gopurams gatehouses and the central Prasat tower in the courtyard are less high at Banteay Prei. In height, it's almost a temple en miniature. The galleries framing the inner courtyard counted first enclosure measure 30 m from east to west and 25 m from north to south. In the southwestern part of the courtyard stands a pillar with a peg, similar stelae can be seen in other Bayon periode temples such as Preah Khan and one in Ta Som. As in the case of Preah Khan, most of the Buddhist sculptures are defaced, some by Hindu iconoclasts in the 13th century, but other heads might well have been stolen in the years of civil war.
Visiting Banteay Prei in the afternoon will allow you to see the temple proper mirrored in the western part of the moat.
Neak Pean
Neak Pean is located about 2.5 km east of Preah Khan, on the same east-west axis. It's a Mebon, a temple on an island in a large reservoir. The said temples and this northern Baray were built by Jayavarman VII in the end of the 12th century. The historcal tank is partly dried up and partly a swamp now. The island can be reached via a 330m long wooden footbridge. Neak Pean's layout is unique in at least two ways. The central terrace is circular and it's an islet within a pond on the island in the reservoir. The central pond is separated by embankments from four more ponds in the cardinal directions. Furthermore, the island has eight more ponds in its corner and cardinal directions, of which only the northern one is crossed by visitors. The groundplan of altogether 13 ponds seems to be inspired by Mandalas. The entire artificial island measures 380 m from east to west and 350 m from north to south.
The very central circular temple platform, 14 m wide, is framed by the bodies of two cosmic serpants. The innermost pond measures 72 m square. It has 5 quite unique sculptures, one being a horse with several human figures below it within the pond, partly covered by the water. This horse sculpture represents Balaha, an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, coming to rescue shiwrecked devotees who were threatened to be devoured by a female sea monster. The four sandstone gates at the cardinal points of the central pond shelter gargoyles, each of the four in a different form, a lion is the gargoyle in the south, a horse in the west, an elephant in the north, and a man's head in the east.
The function and symbolism of this exceptional temple is not entirely clear. It may represent the mythical lake Anvatapta near Mount Kailash in the centre of the world, from which 4 major rivers are believed to originate in the cardinal directions, which are represented by lion, horse, elephant, and bull, not man. However, an inscription of Neak Pean stated that it was "a sacred island, drawing its charm from its ponds and clearing away the sins of those who approach it". The gargoyles and ponds may have served for absolution ceremonies accordingly.
The water levels are much lower in the northern spring than after monsoon is fall. This is why the Balaha sculpture can sometimes be fully seen in April or May. The gargoyles cannot be seen by today's tourists any more, as access is not permitted to the ponds. Visitors can only see the entire ensemble from the southern edge. In any season, the best times to visit Neak Pean for taking pictures are immidiately after sunrise and just before sunset. Because neak Pean is situated at the far end of the Grand Circuit Road, those "Golden Hours" are also the best to avoid the crowds, who do not start their Grand Tour programme here and usually arrive in the late morning or early afternoon.
Krol Ko
Krol Ko is a rarely visited temple just to the east of the Neak Pean car park. But the main entrance is from the east. Remnants of a moat can be seen within the exterior enclosure. The main courtyard, defined by an inner enclosure wall, which measures 25 by 35 metres. The gatehouse is in the east, as usual, It's without roof now. In the southeastern corner is a ssingle library building.
The temple proper is a common combination of a Prasat tower and an eastern Mandapa-Hall. The decorations are from the Bayon period, some Apsara sculptures in niches are well-preserved.
However, there is something special about Krol Ko. Several restored pediments are now placed on the ground of the central courtyard, lined up along the walls of the first enclosure. Their central figures are partly Buddhist, partly Hindi. The Bodhisattva Lokesvhara is depicted on a lotus, for example. Also Buddha sculptures can be seen. A typical Hindu theme is Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana to protect his devotees from a thunderstorm caused by Indra.
The morning is a slightly better time to visit Krol Ko, but actually the time doesn't matter much in the case of this temple.
Ta Som
Ta Som marks the north-eastern corner of the Grand Circuit Road. It's a medium-sized temple complex from the late 12th century, not as large as the similar Bayon-style temples of Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm, and Preah Khan. The face towers at the exterior Gopurams in the east and west make Ta Som easily identifiable as a structure of Cambodia' most prolific temple builder, the Buddhist king Jayavarman VII. He presumably dedicated the temple to his father Dharanindravarman II (Paramanishkalapada) who had been king of the Khmer Empire from 1150 to 1160. The much larher Preah Khan temple (see above), which is at the opposite end of the 3,5 km long reservoir known as Northern Baraym, is dedicated to Jayavarman’s father, too.
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Today's entrance to Ta Som is from the west. The face-tower gatehouse is the Gopuram of the third enclosure, which measures 240 m east-west and 200 m north-south. Ta Som's temple proper, constituting the first enclosure, which measures 30 m by 20 m. Laterite galleries surround the temple courtyard, which encompasses a Prasat sanctuary on a cruciform groundplan and two libraries built of sandstone.
Ta Som has two features that make it attractive. Firstly, there are lots of pediment carvings large in size and rich in detail and well preserved. Some of them are in situ. But the most interesting ones are reconstructed and now placed on the ground. These are among the best works of Mayahana Buddhist art that can be seen in Angkor.
The second major attraction of Ta Som is just the eastern face-tower. It's among the most photographed Khmer monuments, as the gate is towered by a superb example of a stone-cracking strangler fig. It's a quite dramatic sight. The tree died in the 1970s, it does not grow any more. Due to decomposition it will fall down sooner or later. Be aware, that the picturesque tree is just at the opposite side of the entire complex, the car park being at the western end of the Ta Som compound.
The best time to take a frontal picture of the famous tree is about 10.00 am or 11.00 am, because it's in the shadow of the surrounding forest prior to that hour. Another good visiting time worth considering is between 1.00 pm or 2.00 pm, because then you can take the best picture of the easterns Eastern Gate of Ta Som from a side angle.
East Mebon
The East Mebon is neither a flat temple nor a real temple mountain. Actually, it's more like the latter, with three tiers, but they are neither high nor are the stairways steep. The uppermost platform carries five towers in quincunx order. They were dedicated to the three deities of the Trimurti and the parents of the king. Eight smaller brick towers surrounding the uppermost platform represent the eight guardians of the world's eight cardinal directions. They also enshrined eight Lingams, symbolizing the eight aspects of Siva, the so-called Murtis, namely the heavenly bodies of sun and moon, the five elements earth, water, wind, fire and ether, and the transindividual eternal soul, Atman. The fire shrine, without roof now, is also attributed to Agni, the fire god. The buildings are made of brick, holes in the brickwork originally carried stucco dressing the towers.
As indicated by the name "Mebon", it was originally an artificial island. The East Baray, now dried up, was the first and most important reservoir of Ankor. It measured 7.5 km length and 1.8 km width. The Shiva temple now known as East Mebon was built half a century later than the reservoir. After shifting the capital back from Koh Ker to Angkor, King Rajendravarman II (944-968) built the East Mebon from 947 till 953 as the first of his two major temples, the other one being the larger Pre Rup further south. Inscriptions indicate that it was intended to be a symbol of reestablishing the continuity of kingship in Angkor. The Mebon's architect was Kavindrarimathana, who is the only architect from the Angor era who is known by name.
The foundation of the East Mebon measures 126 m by 120 m, it had boat-landing platforms on all sides. The East Mebon is famous for its sculptural decoration, both three-dimensional and low reliefs. Staircases on three different levels are guarded by two seated lion statues. Monolithic elephant statues, each 2 m in height, are placed at the corners of the second tier. The spouts of the drainage are designed as lion heads. The Prasat towers and Gopuram gates and the other brick towers carry elaborately carved lintels.
The most remarkable stone carving is at the east side of the west gate. It depicts Narasimha, the lion-man incarnation of Vishni, tiering uo the demon Hiranyakashipu. In this famous episode from the Indian Puranic literature, Vishnu had to transform himself into a man with the head of a lion, because the Hiranyakashipu, threatening to the destroay the world, could neither be killed by man nor animals. So Vishnu came down to earth in the form of a being that was neither a man nor a lion. Another interesting carving can be found at the building at the northeastern corner, it's lintel depicts Lakshmi flanked by two elephants raising their trunks to sprinkl water on her. This scene from Hindu mythology known as "Gajalakshmi" is popular in Buddhism, too, in Buddhist iconology it represents the birth of the Buddha, which for his mother was as relaxed and as the refreshing shower for Lakshmi. At the northern side of the southeastern tower of the quincunx is a monsterhead devouring an elephant. The east side of the north-west tower depicts Ganesha riding his own trunk. The southern lintel of the same Prasat has another strange theme, a figure dancing on a lion.
Definitely the best time to visit the East Mebon is the very early morning. A second best option is the late afternoon.
Pre Rup
Pre Rup at the southeastern corner of the Grand Circuit Road is the largest single Khmer monument built in the first millenium AD. The large temple is enclosed by a wall measuring 127 m east-west and 117 north-south.
Pre Rup was founded in 961 by King Rajendravarman II, who deserves to be remembered as one of the "big names" among the many kings of Angkor. In a sense, he is the second founder of the city. Previously, it was quite common that new kings or new dynasties founded new capitals. Angkor, dounded by Yahovarman I, was only one of them, before the next important ruler, Jayavarman IV, chose Koh Ker as his residence. But after Rajendravarman II returned to Angkor, it remained to be the capital for the next four centuries. It is debated whether Pre Rup was a second state temple of Rajendravarman, besides East Mebon, or if it served a different purpose. Many believe it was the funerary temple of this king. But it's more likely that the East Mebon was only his makeshift state temple, until Pre Rup was finalised, and was a royal ancestor temple in the first place, not the final state temple of Rajendravarman.
There is not much evidence that Pre Rup was his funerary temple. It's likely that the so-called sarcophagus in front of the main stairway was actually a pavilion that housed Shiva's mount, the bull Nandi. The nearby so-called fire-altars of Pre Rup can be very common library buildings, serving not for funerary rites but to hold Holy Scriptures in safekeeping.
There is not much evidence that Pre Rup was his funerary temple. It's likely that the so-called sarcophagus in front of the main stairway was actually a pavilion that housed Shiva's mount, the bull Nandi. The nearby so-called fire-altars of Pre Rup can be very common library buildings, serving not for funerary rites but to hold Holy Scriptures in safekeeping.
Though the foundations of Pre Rup are made of sandstone, this monument is mainly built of laterite. The warm reddish brown colour of this typical material of Angkorian architecture can be seen not only at the enclosure walls but also at the pyramid. Only Prasat towers and central sections of the Gopuram gatehouses are made of bricks.
Nine long rectangular laterite buildings run parallel to the wall of the second enclosure. The function of these long edifices galleries is unknown. They are the predecessors of those galleries that will become a characteristic of all large Khmer temples later on. Aligned with those nine longitudinal edifices is an unusual small kiosk in the north-east corner. The square structure is built of large blocks of laterite. The laterite roof is well preserved, too. The room is open to all four sides. It probably housed the foundation stele of Pre Rup, which was found nearby though not inside this kiosk. Containing 298, the stelae inscription of Pre Rup is the longest Sanskrit text known from ancient Cambodia and entire South- and Southeast-Asia. It's considered a masterpiece of classical Sanskrit poetry. This is why it's almost composed by members of Brahmin families with close ties to India.
The central tower of Pre Rup once enshrined a Lingam callled Rajendrabhadreshvara, named after the king and a local deity of the northeast of his empire. The other four towers on the summit terrace contained images of Shiva, his consort Uma, Vishnu, und his consort Lakshmi. There are some well-preserved lintels at this magnificent temple, but they are not as numerous and elaborate as those of the sister temple East Mebon.
Pre Rup was surrounded by more temple towers, only one of them survived and is called Leak Neang, it's situated to the northeast of Pre Rup, at the opposite side of the Grand Circuit Road. The door lintel depicts Indra on his mount, the three-headed elephant Airavata.
The best time to visit Pre Rup is the very early morning. But Pre Rup is also one of the most popular sunset points in Angkor. At any time, it's recommendablew to climb the steep pyramid for the nice views to the surrounding countryside.
Srah Srang
A Srah is a reservoir. Though there is no strict distinction, in general a Srah is a basin in an artificial depression, whereas a Banteay is a reservoir with dams. "Srah Srang" means means "Royal Bath". The artificial pond is 700 m long and 350 m wide. It was originally built in the 10th century by King Rajendravarman II. But the current structure is the result of a redesign under the Buddhist king Jayavarman VII, who integrated the lake into the axis of his nearby first large temple in Angkor, Banteay Kdei. The sandstone platform jutting out into the lake dates from this early phase of Bayon period. The Naga balustrades and lion sculptures of the platform were restored in the years after 2013.
The platform is now one of Angkor's sunrise points, attracting several visitors every early morning, but here are not as many as at the mirror pond of Angkor Wat, of course. Near Srah Srang, where the Small Circuit and Grand Circuit Roads meet, is the best touristic infrastructure within the archaeological zone, several good restaurants and exhibitions.
Bat Chum
Bat Chum is located about 500 m south of Srah Srang, it can be reached via a footpath from the southern bank of reservoir or via a gravel road branching off the main road to the south of Srah Srang. This is one of the temples in Angkor that is rarely visited by tourists.
Its groundplan is a very common one. Three brick towers aligned along a north-south axis share one platform and open to the east, the compound is enclosed by a wall and a moat. But in one respect Bat Chum is quite exceptional. This is the first Buddhist sanctuary built in Angkor. It was consecrated in 960.
Bat Chum is a so-called private temple, as it was not built by a king but by a court official. From inscriptions, he is known by name, Kavindrarimathana, the abovementioned architect of King Rajendravarman II. He was also a Buddhist scholar and minister at the same time. It's not quite certain, if Kavindrarimathana is actually the founder of the temple or restructured an already existing earlier Hindu sanctuary.
The three Prasats of Bat Chum were dedicated to Buddha in the central, Avalokiteshvara in the form of Vajrapani in the southern and the female embodiment of ultimate wisdom, Prajnaparamitam in the northern tower.
The morning is more recommendable for a visit of Bat Chum than the afternoon.
Prasat Kravan
Prasat Kravan, which is situated directly at the main circuit roads, has five brick towers in one line from north to south on a single platform. No mortar was used in the constructionn. Instead, the bricks were held together by a gum, the precise compositionof which has not yet been fully discovered. The superstructures of only two towers have survived. In front of the five Prasats is a terrace, which might have served as the foundations of a former Gopuram gatehouse. The temple is surrounded by a moat, as usual.
Like But Chum, Prasat Kravan was a private temple, consecrated in 921 by a nobleman called Mahidharavarman, who was a high official of King Harshavarman I (ca. 910-925). It was the abovementioned period of decline of Angkor, Koh Ker becoming more significant. Prasat Kravan and Baksey Chamkrong are the two major structures built in Angkor during the Koh Ker period. Not surprisingly, Prasat Kravan shows characteristics of the Koh Ker style, which is highly celebrated for the almost baroque and highly dynamic illustrations of mythological themes in sculptural decorations.
Prasat Kravan is very special in that it has wall carvings inside the dark shrine rooms, namely in the central and in the northern tower. The carvings are large and engraved in brick, which is quite uncommon in ancient Khmer art, but this kind of decoration is known from contemporary or older Cham temples in central Vietnam. The brick carvings in the central Prasat were once covered with polychrome varnish.
The left wall shows Vamana, Vishnu's incarnation as a dwarf transforming into a giant, he is seen stepping over an ocean represented by wavy lines below him. In his four arms are Vishnu's four attributes: discus, lotus, mace, and conch. The western wall, at the back of the shrine room, has another Vishnu carving, depicting the god with eight arms. This is a less common representation of Vishnu than that with four arms. However, the Vishnu statue known as Ta Reach in the West Gate of Angkor Wat is eight-armed, too. Six rows of attendants and a reptile surround the god. The northern wall, to the right when entering the shrine room, has another representation of Vishnu, here he is seen riding his mount, the sunbird Garuda.
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The northern most tower also has interior brick carvings. This Prasat was dedicated to the five aspects of the goddess Shri Lakshmi. Vishnu's consort is depicted on all three walls as well as on the lintel. Her fifth aspect was represented by a statue, whioch is now missing. The wall on the left has a four-armed Lakshmi. Confusingly, the attributes she is holding are those of Shiva's consort, although Lakshmi is Vishnu's consort. Two attendants are seen kneeling down at her side. The two-armed Lakshmi sculpture on the east wall is not as well preserved, Lakshmi is accompanied by four adorants. There are only few parts remaining from the reliefs on the northern wall.
There are two distinct times that can be recommended to visit Prasat Kravan, the early morning and the late afternoon both have their respective advantages and disadvanteafe. The morning is better to see the main facades in the sunshine, but in the afternoon you can see the backs of five towers mirrored in the moat. Be aware the moat tends to dry out from February to May.
When traveling along the road of the Grand Circuit (or also of the Small Circuit) in clockwise direction, Prasat Kravan is the last temple before reaching Angkor Wat again or returning to Siem Reap.
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