Phnom Bakheng

While the Bakheng temple is oriented towards the east, as were all state temples dedicated to Shiva, the steep eastern stairway leading directly up to the temple has been closed for safety reasons. In fact, none of the stairways ascending the hill in each of the four cardinal directions are open to visitors. To reach the top of Phnom Bakheng visitors must follow one of two paths that lead off in opposite directions from base of the eastern stairs; ascending the hill to the left, visitors can either walk or ride atop elephants via the Elephant Walkway. If you are coming to watch the sunset on your first visit to Angkor, riding-an-elephant through the lush forest just as French explorer Henri Mahout once did upon his discovery of the temples is a magical experience. The trail weaves back and forth through tropical foliage on the south side of the hill before terminating at the southeast corner of the temple.

The “safety” path, which wraps around the temple to the north is a gradually inclining trail crossing over the stairways from the north and west - the northern stair featuring a pair of guardian lions on the hillside below the path. The safety path terminates at the southwest corner of the temple.

Upon arrival at the summit of Phnom Bakheng, you should walk around the temple and begin your tour near the top of the eastern stairway. Just beyond the top of the stairs there is a small, covered structure within which lies a “Buddha’s footprint”, a 4 foot long impression in the ground in the shape of a footprint that dates from the 16th century reign of King Ang Chan. In the enclosure beyond the footprint are several ancillary structures at the foot of the pyramid, namely a pair of “libraries” or crematoriums called Agni Shrines, the southern of which is on your left and has several seated Buddha images before it.

Before ascending the eastern stairs of the pyramid note that each of the 5 terraces of the temple is slightly smaller than the one below it (as are each of the lions flanking the stairway); this design creates an optical illusion that makes the temple appear taller than it actually is. Climb carefully as the stairs are narrow and can be slippery when wet.

The uppermost platform of the temple was once adorned by a five-towered quincunx of prasats that represented the five peaks of Mt. Meru. While earlier state temples, including Bakong were earthly representation of this heavenly home of the gods, Bakheng was the first temple to employ the quincunx, a design feature that was mimicked at later temples, including Angkor Wat. In the 16th century, after the kingdom’s conversion to Theravada Buddhism, the four towers that once surrounded the central sanctuary were disassembled in order to construct a seated Buddha, which no longer remains.

Adorning the corners of the central sanctuary are female devatas and on the frontons above the four open doorways are the faces of the 33 aforementioned Hindu deities. Also note the intact inscription on the top left side of the northern facing doorway that provided historians with some insight on the temple’s construction.

Within the central sanctuary the Siva-linga Yasodharesvara “the lord who bears glory” was installed in 907; the linga, which represented the combined spirit power of both Shiva and Yasovarman no longer remains. Originally, there was also a stone linga within each of the five towers atop Bakheng.

Bakheng is a particularly popular place to watch the sunset over the West Baray and the fading sunlight produces dramatic effects on Angkor Wat to the southeast (which requires a telephoto camera lens or binoculars to best appreciate). On a clear day, it is possible to see both Phnom Kraom to the southwest and Phnom Bok to the northeast, hilltops upon which Yasovarman also constructed temples, as well as Phnom Kulen to the east, where Jayavarman II was crowned the first king of Angkor; given such a panoramic view, it is not surprising that Yasovarman chose this location for his state temple.

Descending the temple to the south, take note of the statue of the sacred bull Nandi, the mount of Shiva. Of the four Nandi statues that once lay at the base of each staircase, the statue at the southern stairway is the only one that has been restored; monks and nuns from Battambang had it repaired in the 1990’s.