Siem Reap : Banteay Srei Temple

Banteay Srei Temple is located in Banteay Srei Village, Banteay Srei Commune, Banteay Srei District, Siem Reap Province, approximately 39 kilometers north of Siem Reap City, 27 kilometers from Sra Srang and 32 kilometers from Angkor Wat on the way to Phnom Kulen. Banteay Srei Temple is one of the many temples in Siem Reap, Angkor, which is famous in Cambodia as well as in the world, attracting many national and international tourists from all over the world. Tourists who visit Angkor Wat and other temples in the territory of Siem Reap Province often take the time to travel long distances from the provincial capital. Banteay Srei Temple is famous because it is built of lotus stone with the most exquisite and vivid carvings, with three pillars that are as elegant as a perfect woman. The temple is built on a flat, small, rectangular ground made of pink sandstone and rectangular bricks, and is surrounded by a moat. The three towers of the temple face east, and the central tower houses the Iso Linga, the southern one is dedicated to Brahma and the northern one is dedicated to Vishnu. Banteay Srei Temple was originally called "Iso Pur", which means "The City of Iso", but in later times it was called Banteay Srei Temple because of its small, narrow shape and the beautiful and vivid designs on the pink stone. Not only that, this temple has been praised by almost all tourists as being very beautiful, even though it has a small perimeter, but the shape of the temple is decorated with carvings of flowers from stories related to the Devaraja religion, "The Story of the Khmer Ramakrishna". Not only that, each carving is more vivid compared to other temples. According to historical documents of the Khmer Empire, Banteay Srei Temple was built in 967 AD during the reign of King Sri Rajendra Pramrut Tep II, before the construction of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom by a Brahma named Yajnavaraha, who was the son of King Sri Jayawardena Pramrut Tep V, to dedicate it to Brahmanism. Banteay Srei Temple is made of crimson sandstone and is adorned with 1,500 Apsaras (Oh, readers! Do you really believe it? Go and see the temple yourself, don't be fooled). All the Apsaras are different. Moreover, the inscriptions and flowers at Banteay Srei Temple are more beautiful than the sculptures at Angkor Wat, like the ones carved on silver and copper. According to the guide, it is said that King Srei Jayapharmanthep V built this temple, which according to the inscription is "Esorobo", the name of Tribhuvatamaheswara translates as "The Bridge of Preah Esor, the Greatest of the Three Worlds", which translates as "Borey Preah Esor", not the name of Banteay Srei as we know it. The temple has a three-story stone wall with a long stone courtyard to the east, a gopura with exquisite designs, in the middle of the courtyard there is a latticed pavilion extending from one side to the north and three sides to the south, all with exquisite designs. Today, it is completely destroyed and only the pillars are left. Banteay Srei Temple is a temple with a very elegant design, with a beautiful and lively pattern of vines, flowers, and flowers, which looks like a "mythical angel". Each pattern that is twisted around the temple can draw the eye to look at it again and again and make you stand still, forgetting yourself, sucking your lips with admiration, showing that the construction period of Banteay Srei Temple was a period of mastery of the skills of the Khmer ancestors of that time. Banteay Srei Temple has suffered a disaster in the past because the war has damaged this ancient temple a lot. The outer protective wall has been excavated to find ancient artifacts during the country's war. Piles of temple stones are scattered in front of the temple. Part of the inner temple is broken and in ruins, which looks sad.