Preah Palilay

Preak Palilay temple in Angkor, Cambodia boasts a combination of both Hindu and Buddhist elements that makes it difficult to accurately date. It is generally believed to have been built during the reign of Jayavarman VIII, although it seems that different parts of the temple were constructed at different times.

The central sanctuary, for example, may have been built as early as the 12th century, while the surrounding gopura is more likely to have originated in the 13th or 14th centuries. Fortunately, many of the Buddhist carvings at the temple survived the anti-Buddhist iconoclasm that occurred in the 15th century. The temple was given somewhat of a spring cleaning by Henri Marchal in the early 1900s, while the gopura was later restored between 1937 and 1938 by Maurice Glaize.

Preah Palilay’s cross-shaped terrace boasts seven-headed naga balustrades on the east side, which are in surprisingly good condition. There are also a lone guardian lion statue whose companion has been stolen or destroyed. At the end of a 33-meter long causeway, you will find the shrine to Buddha. The three-meter shrine depicts Buddha sitting on a lotus leaf and is thought to be one of the temple’s later additions.

There is also a depiction of animals within the Parilyyaka Forest, and it is thought that the name of the temple could have been an alteration of this. In ancient myth, Buddha retreated to this forest after leaving Kosami. This impressive carving can be found at the temple’s northern entrance.