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Banteay Srei

Some 16 miles north east of the main group of temples at Angkor lies the temple of Banteay Srei, a formerly Hindu shrine dedicated to the god Shiva built in the late 10th century. Of all the Angkor temples this was one of the ones I was most eager to see, having been familiar with some stunning images my Mum took when she visited in the 1960s, her Banteay Srei slides were among the best she took and intrigued me for many years before getting the chance to see it for myself.

The temple is unique in a number of ways, firstly its scale is surprisingly small compared to most Khmer temples, everything here seems to be very compact to the point that the main structure (in its own enclosure approached via a long processional way) seems almost like a very large scale model of a larger building, the grandeur of vision is here, but the desire to build large wasn't. The temple thus has more of a sense of intimacy and charm than many of the more impressively scaled monuments.

The main reason to visit Banteay Srei however is for the beauty of its craftsmanship; unlike the main Angkor temple this one is built of a richly hued red sandstone which not only adds to the appeal with its colouring but is also far better suited to fine carving and it is this for which Banteay Srei is famed. The temple is a riot of carved ornament, stunning reliefs cover its gables and finials with intricate designs and scenes from Hindu mythology. It is an absolute gem of a building and a feast for the eyes.

Set on plinths around the main shrine were crouching guardian statues of Hanuman, Garuda and lion-headed Asuras (demons) that had particularly intrigued me in my Mum's old photos. It was thus a big disappointment to find they are no longer here, the plinths were empty, the temple denuded of its most striking statuary. As a result of the poor security situation in the wake of the misrule of the Khmer Rouge, the site was vulnerable to looters for some time and some of the sculptures were damaged or stolen. The rest were thus removed to museums in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for safekeeping. Since our visit they have been replaced by good quality new replicas, so at least the beauty of the temples original vision is restored.

Sadly the weather was anything but beautiful during our visit here, the rain was quite relentless! It seemed a far cry from the golden afternoon glow of Mum's photos. Also visitors are restricted to walking around just the perimeter of the main shrine which is roped off to prevent damage, so while it detracts somewhat from the romance of the place it does at least secure its future preservation. Despite less than ideal conditions however the glory of this temple and its exqusite carvings still shone through.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banteay_Srei

Taken in: Cambodia / Siem Reap / Banteay Srei (show map)

Taken on: May 6, 2007

Tags:

Angkor

Cambodia

temple

ancient

Khmer

carving « less

Sets appears in: • Angkor - Banteay Srei • Indochina 2007

Camera: Olympus u20D,S400D,u400D, f/3.1, 1/30 sec, 5.8mm, ISO 64 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Olympus u20D,S400D,u400D
Aperture:	f/3.1
Exposure Time:	0.033 sec (1/30)
Focal Length:	5.8mm
ISO:	64
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Embettered by PicMonkey. http://www.picmonkey.com
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