Banteay Meanchey Province : Banteay Chhmar Temple

Banteay Chhmar Temple was built from the late 12th to early 13th centuries during the reign of King Jayavarman VII to commemorate his son and four generals who were killed in the Battle of Chaks Cham in 1177. Banteay Chhmar Temple is located in Banteay Chhmar Village, Banteay Chhmar Commune, Thma Puok District, Banteay Meanchey Province, and is approximately 59 kilometers from the northern city of Banteay Meanchey Province. It was found that on the first inner or outer wall or fence after the rostrum, there is not a single stone without carvings. A group of scholars, experts, professors, and important national and international speakers who went to inspect and evaluate the temple in person showed interest that just on the first wall or fence in Banteay Chhmar Temple, there are a large number of sculptures depicting various Hindu deities, including Brahma, Naraya or Vishnu, Shiva or Ishwar, and other important figures of that religion. The most important sculpture is the 32-handed avatar of Lokeshvara, a Bodhisattva of Buddhism, accompanied by a sculpture of the 16-handed avatar of which only one remains, although the same sculpture on the south side was stolen by criminals, leaving only a souvenir photo. Sculptures on the walls of Banteay Chhmar Temple Depicting a fight between a man and a giant-headed being, G. Cœdès believes that the story of this sculpture is told in the Khmer inscription K. 227. The inscription tells of a fight between Srindra Komara (the son of King Jayavarman VII) and Bhārata Rāhu, in which two of his bodyguards were willing to sacrifice their lives to help him.[2] At the renovation site of the water channel of the Banteay Chhmar temple, a lion sculpture was discovered on 3 February 2020.