Siem Reap : East Mebon Temple

The East Mebon Temple refers to two Mebon temples, one is the East Mebon Temple, located in the East Baray, and the other is the West Mebon Temple, located in the middle of the West Baray (Teuk Thla Baray). The Mebon Temple is a place for holding ceremonies, so it is also called Mebon. This temple faces east and was built in the second half of the 10th century in 952 by King Rajendravarman I, dedicated to the Brahman god Isora. It is located in the middle of the East Baray, about 500 meters from the Pre Rup Temple. The temple was built in the middle of the 11th century AD during the reign of King Udayadityavarman II (1049-1066) to dedicate it to his ancestors in the 11th century. The temple has a unique appearance, especially the temple structure consisting of a single-story wall made of sandstone, surrounding a large pond dug on the hill. The eastern wall is designed as a gallery with large windows, spaced apart, and has three entrances: one in the center and two at each end of the gallery. In the center of the inner pond is a circular sandstone basin shaped like a well, about 3 meters in diameter. During excavations in 1939, a reclining statue of Vishnu was found in the Western Temple. According to the interpretation of Jiw Ta Quan, a Chinese envoy who arrived in Angkor in 1295, the Western Temple was built in accordance with the meaning of the story of the birth of Brahma, because according to this story, before the emergence of the new world, Vishnu lay down and meditated on the eternal serpent, floating on the surface of the sea for a long time. Then a lotus sprouted from his navel, and on the lotus rose the image of Brahma, sitting in meditation, indicating the creation of a new world.[1] In 1938, a large statue of Lord Vishnu, made of a single piece of bronze (from the chest to the head), was excavated in the temple grounds.