Preah Pithu

Only two of the temples were built in the same period and much about them is unknown, yet they are set amidst shady grounds and are some of the least visited temples inside Angkor Thom despite their busy location behind the restaurants and toilets

The Preah Pithu Group is a cluster of five ancient temples inside the Angkor Archaeological Park. The shady grounds of these five generally unrelated temples are rarely visited despite their convenient location near the restaurant stalls opposite the Terrace of the Leper King.

The five temples are identified by letters of the alphabet: T, U, V, W and X. All but temple X were built to honor Hindu gods, particularly Vishnu; Temple X, was dedicated to Buddha and features bas-relief Buddha images on the interior temple walls.

Just west of Temple X, a moat surrounds temples T and U, which may indicate they were built at the same time. Temple T is home to a sandstone enclosure, two gopura, a three-level sanctuary and a chamber complete with a pedestal-mounted linga. The walls and doors are decorated with Bayon-style floral motifs and depictions of The Churning of the Sea of Milk. There are also blind arches, typical of the period of Angkor Wat, further complicating the dating of the temples. Temple U, which is smaller and in greater disrepair than T, features a western facing lintel depicting Brahma and Vishnu along side a ten-armed dancing Shiva.

The other two temples in the vicinity also boast impressive structures and mythical depictions of gods from Hindu mythology. Many of these carvings remain largely intact and the entire site is particularly peaceful and less crowded than most other Angkor sites. All of the temples are oriented to the east, and there is a pair of small elephant statues at the beginning of one causeway leading towards the temples if you explore the westernmost portion of the temple group.