2017-11 Ta Prohm Temple aka the Tomb Raider Temple (Cambodia)

Gate of Ta Prohm with four faces of Buddha

In the morning, we had gotten up early to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat and visit that site. Then, we went back to the hotel for breakfast and naps before heading out to our afternoon temple visit to Ta Prohm, made famous by the movie Tomb Raider. It was built by the Buddhist king Jayarvanam VII sometime during his reign from 1181-1218, approximately 37 years. Jayarvanam VII was the second king after the king (Suryarvanam II) that built Angkor Wat. Whereas Angkor Wat was built in honor of the Hindu religion, Jayarvanam VII was an adherent to Buddhism.

Spung tree in Ta Prohm

Jayarvanam VII's reign began after he collected soldiers to attack and remove the Champa from what is now Vietnam but was then part of the Khmer empire. He tried to control the Khmer empire by selecting an intellectual to run each of the four provinces. Within Ta Prohm complex, there is a former temple for teachers as well as a police university. Monks could come and study at Ta Prohm to get ready for their entrance exam to enter Angkor Wat school.

Stegasuarus carved into Ta Prohm!

Interestingly, becoming a Buddhist monk need not be a lifetime commitment. Every Buddhist male is expected to be a monk for at least some time in his life, which can be for as little as three months to indefinitely. At Ta Prohm, boys would come to study as monks but then could leave the monkhood when they needed to return home to work the rice fields.

Another tree in Ta Prohm

After Angkor Wat fell to Siam in 1342, the monks left Ta Prohm; and, nature took back the area. The impressive trees that we see that have grown through the foundations and walls are either spung trees or chambak trees. Angkor Wat did not see such degradation, as there was always someone living there and pulling out sapling trees from the stone walls. However, Ta Prohm did not have such caretakers over the centuries. It is a fitting reminder that no matter the mark that we think we have as humans, all of our great buildings and monuments can just as easily be returned to the earth in several centuries.

Looking up the central tower of Ta Prohm. The Christmas tree looking opening is to support the weight of the tower

2017-10 National Museum of Cambodia

5th century AD stelae carved in Sanskrit and Old Khmer

The National Museum in Phnom Penh has quite a variety of artifacts on display. Even better, it has great informational cards in English with lots of background. Our guide kept telling us that the Khmer people had an empire long before the Thais or Laos, an empire that stretched from Burma to China. The pieces in the museum dated from the 5th century AD, including an stelae inscribed in both Sanskrit and Old Khmer languages.

Vishnu sculpture from 6th century AD, pre-Angkorian period

Reclining Vishnu from the 11th century (Angkorian period)

Which brings us to an interesting point: the Khmer (or, at least their kings) followed Hinduism. Thus the use of Sanskrit on inscriptions and the plethora of Hindu gods in their art. However, at the same time, the Khmer people (and their kings) also followed Buddhism. I’m not well-versed in either; however, sufficeth to say, there are also lots of Buddhas in their sculpture and art.

Buddha seated on naga, the seven-headed snake, 11th century

At the museum, the sculptures that caught my eye were those of Vishnu (Hindu) and the Buddha on “naga”, the seven-headed snake. There was also a very human statue of Jayarvanam VII, who embraced Buddhism completely. Instead of looking like a stylized or perfect royalty, this sculpture looks like an actual person.  We would visit two of his temples in Siem Reap: Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider temple) and Angkor Thom.

Jayarvanam VII, Angkorian period, turn of century (12th-13th)

In another room, there were detailed paintings of the Hindu Ramayana story. These intricately detailed panels tell the story that the Khmer call Reamker. Another room held an an entire collection of wooden Buddhas. (We were not allowed to photograph this room). There were also pottery and bronze items in other rooms and halls. Plus, there are some items from the previous Cambodia royalty, such as palanquins used to carry royalty. All in all, a very interesting museum.

Panel from Reamker, early 1900s