BANTEAY SREI - THE TEMPLE OF WOMEN

Banteay Srei or Banteay Srey is a 10th-century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor, it lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom. Amazing with the three towers of Vishnu, Shiva n Brahma, Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today, known as Women temple in Khmer. It is quite different from other temples in Angkor Area. This temple is out in the countryside about an hour by tuk-tuk from Siem Reap, but I highly recommend making the extra effort to go out and see it. Bantãy Srĕi was the only major temple at Angkor not built by a monarch; its construction is credited to the courtiers named Vishnukumara and Yajnavaraha who served as a counselor to king Rajendravarman II The foundational stela says that Yajnavaraha, grandson of king Harsavarman I, was a scholar and philanthropist who helped those who suffered from illness, injustice, or poverty. His pupil was the future king Jayavarman V. Originally, the temple was surrounded by a town called Īśvarapura.

NEAK PEAN:THE TEMPLE IN THE WATER

Neak Pean is a small artificial circular island dominated in the middle by a Buddhist temple. It is designed under Khmer architecture. (probably a replica of Lake Anavatapta, a legendary Himalayan lake). It is accessed by a wooden bridge of 800m through Jayatataka Baray (the mangrove of Preah Khan Temple). Through its architecture and five pools, this site exudes a serene atmosphere. In this atmosphere, it is very pleasant to admire how Buddhism and Hinduism combine harmoniously. Built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century, Neak Pean Temple was dedicated to the Buddhist religion. He was thus dedicated to Lokeshvara, a bodhisattva of compassion. However, according to Hindu believers, the layout of each basin was laid out according to an ancient Hindu belief. The four basins thus represented water, earth, fire and wind. By simply bathing, they believed that the waters had a medicinal virtue could thus fix their problems. As a result, the temple was, from its construction, considered a public hospital. Longtime, invaded by the jungle, the temple of Neak Pean was found in 1920 To see: the gargoyles .
One shaped like an elephant's head to the north, a horse to the west, a lion to the south and a man to the east. According to the Hindu belief on which its layout is based, the elephant head symbolizes water, the horse head represents the wind, the lion head evokes fire and the human head reflects the earth.  Elephant, House, Lion, and human head is each made like fountain spitting water through an opening, curing various kinds of sickness. Back in time, people came to this hospital, first got "washed" on by water to "detect" the kind of sickness one may have, then one would follow instructions on using different fountains to get treatments. The function of the hospital was to provide spiritual cure to sick ones, different from the functions of modern hospital.
Located about 2.5 km east of Preah Khan, an interesting site for a walk through the mangrove.

NATURE ON TA PROHM TEMPLE

The trees at Ta Prohm intertwine the roots and branches with the stones of temples built 1000 years ago. This majestic temple swallowed up by wild nature, the strangler ficus are taking possession of the ruins day after day, incorporating the sacred walls with their trunk. Ta Prohm was built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara ("monastery of the king"), it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Jayavarman VII constructed Rajavihara in honour of his family. The temple's main image, representing Prajnaparamita, the personification of wisdom, was modelled on the king's mother. The northern and southern satellite temples in the third enclosure were dedicated to the king's guru, Jayamangalartha, and his elder brother respectively. Ta Prohm is also famous because was used as a location in the film Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie.