Archive for KAMPONG THOM

KAMPONG THOM PROVINCE

Kampong Thom is a province in Cambodia, Its capital is Kampong Thom, a picturesque town on the banks of the Stung Saen river. Kampong Thom is one of the provinces that borders the Tonle Sap Lake and is in Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve.

Kampong Pos Thom was the original name of the present province called Kampong Thom. Originally long time ago, at the dock of the Sen River next to a lake, there was a big cave with a pair of big snakes inside. The people living around this area usually saw these big snakes every Buddhist Holiday. Time after that, the snakes disappeared, and the people of that area called it Kampong Pos Thom. Then, only short words, Kampong Thom came later. During the French colony in Cambodia, the French ruled and divided Cambodian territory into provinces, and named them according to the spoken words of the people.

Kampong Thom was a powerful capital in south-east Asia during the Funan period. Kampong Thom has Prasat Sambour Prey Kok temple that was famous during the Chenla Era.

Kampong Thom is Cambodia's second largest province by area, it touches Preah Vihear to the north, Siem Reap to the northwest, Pursat to the west, Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang to the south and Steung Trang to the north east. Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk and Prasat Andet are two of the main Angkorian temples in the province. There are a number of other significant Angkorian sites in the area.

The province is subdivided into 8 districts.

- 0601 Baray

- 0602 Kampong Svay

- 0603 Stueng Saen

- 0604 Prasat Balangk

- 0605 Prasat Sambour

- 0606 Sandaan

- 0607 Santuk

- 0608 Stoung

Phnom Santuk

Since the ancient time to the present, Phnom Santuk Mountain has been called in many names as below:

- Phnom Thom (in history)
- Phnom Arth Santuk (In history)
- Phnom Chorm Chong Kiri
- Phnom Krop Tuk
- Phnom Preah Bat Chann Tuk

The ancient heritages on the top of the mountain:
- Many Buddha statues were carved from great mountain rock including three big Buddha statues reaching Nirvana, each has more than 10-meter length.
- Prasat Touch of pyramid shape, made of sandstone, has three stories and three-meter height, and is located next to the ancient wooden temple (presently, it is made of cement) with a rectangular pond (10m x 4m).
- Preah Bat Chann Tuk statue was carved on the stone shaped as food of a sacred human, and there are many other small sculptures.

By the stories, the construction and the statues were erected during the reign of Preah Ponhea Dharma Reacha (1474-1494) and have been maintained until now.

Phnom Santuk has changed names to Chorn Chong Kiri and Phnom Krop Tuk. Chan Dare or Chan Chare are called two pieces of stone by local people that join all together in marked symbol and made in small hole, the passenger arrived there, they always dropped cash coins (ancient coins) into this small hole. When cash coins was dropped in, it make soft weak voice like a voice of the birds sing or music with happiness. So they did that since ancient period.

Preah Bat Chan Tuk or Buddha statue:

- Was built by King Ang Chan I (16th century).
- King Baksei Chamkrong built a wooden temple on Phnom San Tuk at the same year.
- Sculptures carved on large ancient stone with many scenes of story.
- Buddha statue reaching Nirvanawas carved on larges-stone since 16th century.

Sambor Prei Kuk

The ancient city where monuments of Sambo Prei Kuk are found today was identified as ISANAPURA, the capital of Chenla in 7th century. Chenla was a former vassal of the Funan kingdom that was one of the first state in Southeast Asia, but it gradually gained its power and eventually King Citrasena Mahendravarman of Funan in the early 7th century.

Main archaeological features in these groups of monuments are said to have been founded by king ISANAVARMAN I, the son of king Citrasena.

Many decorative details in Khmer architecture and sculpture are classified as Sambor style: the name was derived from these monuments dated in the first half of the 7th century. Henceforth this kingdom was the leading state and comprised the whole of Cambodia proper. Furthermore, several successions of kings’ reign might have maintained these monuments as their capital city. The century following the death of JAYAVARMAN I who is the last known king of this kingdom in the second half of the 7th century is a dark period in the history of Chenla. According to a Chinese accounts, in the 8th century, the country of Chenla was divided into land and water Chenlas. The obscurity prevails and this monument might be neglected thereafter. The history. However, is traced again with the accession of JAYAVARMAN II, who founded a new polity that is now referred as Angkor in the beginning of 9th century. Decorative details of Prasat Tao (Central Group) are similar to the style of the remains belong to the period of the king JAYAVARMAN II, Particularly, characteristic lion statues resembles the statues found in Phnom Penh. From these reasons this architectural complex is said to be constructed in this period.

Furthermore some inscriptions in Prasat Sambor (Northern Group) are dated in the 10th century under the reign of the king RAJENDRA VARMANII. And Robang Romeas group that is located about 2km northward from main temple area, contains other inscriptions of the king SURYAVARMAN I period. Some other decorative details and statues belong to the late Angkor period styles were confirmed from these temples. These historical evidences suggest that these monuments must have belonged to the important provincial principle city after Pre Angkor period.

From above historical perspective, this group of monuments is extremely significant not only for Cambodia but also for the entire area of Southeast Asia, for they are the only remaining sound architectural constructions that exemplify the architecture and sculpture of the early period in sizable quantity.

Prasat Sambor Group

Northern sanctuary group comprised 11 sanctuaries separated from each other with the one at the middle, and had two-wall rampart. The sanctuaries were built of brick and limestone and carve in the beautifully real khmer style. These achievements certified the real khmer talent, after received the influence from India. Khmer had prepared her country and developed arts by herself. The every great development was in Angkor civilization period. The sanctuary was built on a rectangular hill (24m 21m or 25,200 square meters or 2.52 hectares).

The sanctuary comprised 14 temples (only 8 remains), and were surrounded by two-wall rampart. These temples were constructed in various plans-square and octagonal shapes. The top of the temple was carved in lotus petals of sandstone, but some parts were cracked down and buried into the ground and the pile of bricks.

Lion Temple Group:
Lion temple group comprise 18 temples with two ramparts closed to the pond. The reasons why the people called Lion Temple because on the tops of all stairs from the four directions, there were sitting lions with forelegs standing up, hind-legs humbling down, its head rose up and its mouse opened to the sanctuary.

The rampart outside made of laterite, had 328-meter length, 310-meter width and 101,650-square-meter surface.

This rampart had Gopura in two-direction (East and West) entrances that are connected by the other laterite ramparts. In between rampart 2 and 1, at the Northeastern side near the rampart 1, there was a rectangular pond (42.10m x 34.20m). The bottom of the pond spread by laterite and surrounded by the stepped stairs. The small stairs of the Southern side are made of sandstone.

Now the pond is empty during the dry season. When we enter from the Eastern Gopura on either side of the road, we see two sanctuary hills were built on high terrace with the tracks of the round column made of laterite lining up in 0.40m height.

Prasat Yeai Poeun Group:
Prasat Yeai Poeun Group comprised a total of 22 sanctuaries (5 have octagonal shapes) with two wall rampart, and was built of brick, masonry, laterite and sandstone in rectangular from in 7th century (600-635) during the reign of Isanavarman I to dedicated to Shiva. They were built on a hill with Gopura from the eastern and western entrances joining to an outside laterite rampart. The inner rampart reached by gateways from the four directions and joined to the brick rampart carved in various clustering figures.

Along the sanctuary contained the eastern and western Gopura joined to the laterite rampart (304m x 274m or 83,296 square-meter surface). Gopura contained framed door with diamond columns and a lintel built of sandstone. Eastern Gopura contained a buried large inscription (size: 2.41m x 0,9m x 0,15) inscribed with 17 lines of script. This inscription was brought to be kept in Kampong Thom Museum.

Kroul Romeas Group:
Behind Kroul Romeas Group, there were four more sanctuaries made of brick and built during the reign King Suryavarman 1(end of 11th century). These sanctuaries were built on a rectangular hill, and faced to the East. One of sanctuaries was not completely built yet, it was likely built in later period. The lintel was carved in the form of bow without the modal. At the southeastern side, there were two temples recognized as the original ancient khmer styles.