Bakong introduction

Bakong

The importance of the Bakong temple is that this is the first temple built in the vicinity of Angkor that has the design of a templemountain. The prototype of a temple mountain is the Borobudur in Java and the design of Bakong is based on it. The influence of the Java-based kindom of Srivijaya streched as far as what is now south-Thailand and Cambodia, with king Indravarman I adopting its style in 881. He decided to build his capital Hariharalaya in the area that is now called Roluos, about 15 km south east of what would later become Angkor, and he introduced the principle of the state-temple. This principle, a temple in the middle of a city, was to be followed by all the Khmer kings that succeeded him.

So, king Indravarman I was important for the history of the Khmer because in fact he laid the foundations for all future building programs. The principle of a temple mountain is based on the representation of the mythical mountain of Meru in India, also called Mount Meru. Meru is the moutain of the gods in both Hindu and Buddhist cosmology, is countlessly mentioned in scripts, poems and other writings and was obviously of high inspirational value. The mix of Hindu and Buddhist religions is common throughout Asia, in this case, the buddhist Borobudur temple as a model for the Hindu Bakong temple. Basically, a temple mountain consists of a layer of stone on which a second, smaller layer was built, on the second layer a smaller third level and so on, creating a sort of pyramid. (there is a resemblance to the pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser in Egypt).

Bakong has 5 layers. On each side, steps lead to the next level, each step at ground level starts in a sort of pavillion or gate called gopura, on elevated levels lions guard the steps. On each corner of the 3 lower levels, statues of elephants represent the stability of the universe. Unfortunately, many of these statues are missing and the remaining elephants have their trunk cut off, resulting in a strange creature. The guide I had in 2004 blamed the Khmer Rouge for this vandalism.

strange creature ?

vandalized elephant

The forelast level has 12 smaller towers, called prasats with 4 larger prasats on each corner, amplifing the image of a mountain. The top level has one centred prasat. This architectural plan, one prasat in the middle and 4 on each corner, is a sort of blueprint for many temples to follow. Around the pyramid itself, 8 smaller prasats are built.

The fact that sandstone is used and not brick proves that this civilization was more advanced than its predecessors; building in sandstone requires not only higher artistical skills but also higher organizational skills, a deeper defined hierarchy, more manpower. More manpower means more people to feed, maintain and, possibly, pay. The system that made this possible was the taming of the seasons by constructing water reservoirs allowing large scale irrigation and thus larger food production. Therefore, Khmer society and architecture reached a peak at the time Bakong was built and its leader, king Indravarman I, deserves to be mentioned as a key figure.

The picture on the left shows the central prasat, which was added in the 12 th century (in the Angkor Wat style), replacing the existing prasat. Its style does not conflict withe the Bakong-style, in fact, it suits the pyramid well and proved to be inspirational for the the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh, erected in 1954 and pictured on the right.