Prasat Banteay Srei 1, Siem Reap

One of the most beautiful temples in Angkor is Banteay Srei. It is 25 kms off track from the line of main temples in Angkor but it is definitely worth a visit.

Built in Angkor, Banteay Srei is a Shiva temple but surprisingly has been named Banteay Srei which means "Citadel of women". Srei is girl or women in Khmer so it is the temple of lady. It was built to honor female deities. But it is primarily a Shiva temple.

I fail to understand why a Shiv temple would be named so. Many interpretations have been considered since ages. Some saying that the work is so delicate that it could have been done only by female hands. I have seen very fine work done by men. 

Another theory suggests the standing devkanyas being the reason. Apart from these there are consorts of Shiva and Vishnu, maybe that was the reason. Whatever may be the reason for naming the temple, it has one of the most beautiful and intricate carvings on sandstone in Cambodia.

Some features of the temple:

• Most of the temples in Angkor have been built by ruling kings. Banteay Srei is the only temple which was not built by any king. It was built in 967 A.D. during the rule of King Rajendravarman II by his advisors Yajnavaraha and Vishnukumara. That means the construction of temple took place at least 150 years before Angor Wat!
• The temple was originally named Trilokbhuvaneshwara (त्रिलोकभुवनेश्वर), meaning the God of the three worlds( heaven, earth and hell) and in midst of a city called Ishvarpur(ईश्वरपुर) meaning the city of gods.
• It was primarily a Shiva temple facing south . Vishnu occupies the northern side.
• It seems to have been revered till 1303A.D., after which for reasons not clear it was abandoned.
• It was rediscovered in 1914 but the restoration started very late in 1930s.
• It is said to be the first temple in Angkor to have used anastylosis, which is a restoration technique used in archeology.
• One important feature of this temple is that complete scene from Ramanyana and Puranas have been depicted on pediments, which are triangular arches over a door.
• Made in red sandstone, the material is soft to etch but can withstand weathering for a long period. No doubt the temple still stands majestically .

Time line of various monuments throughout the world

red sandstone temple stands on the same color ground

rear view of temple surrounded by moat

After passing by a lotus pond and walking over red colored path we reach the eastern entrance of the temple. This is the main entrance. Just few interesting facts about the temple architecture.

• The temple has a main entrance to the east which leads to an enclosure surrounded by a moat. This entrance leads to another enclosure which further leads to the innermost or the sanctum santorum.
• Each entrance has a gopuram (which in simple term can be said to be a gateway which has either a tower or structure on top of it).
• Though the temple of Banteay Srie is not big as compared to the other temples of Angkor but the intricate etching on sandstone obtained from nearby Kulen mountains is one of the finest and a marvel to behold. A typical gopuram has a colonette which are the columns on either side. Then there are lintels which are horizontal beams on top of the gate. On top of the lintel is pediment which are usually triangular. The etching on a pediment is called a tympanum. I shall be mentioning these terms often in my post. Banteay Srie has the finest work on its pediments. 
• All of gopurams have a pediment which depicts a scene either from Ramayana or Mahabharata,  the two great epics in Hinduism.

Entering the temple:
We now move towards the temple. There are four enclosures and we enter through the outermost or the fourth enclosure.

Laterite and brick wall enclosing the temple with moat surrounding the temple. The picture shows the innermost or the third enclosure.

Eastern gopuram IV:

As is clear the temple entrance faces east. I have marked the points of interest in this enclosure.

map made not to scale

east side entrance

The pediment (#1) shows Indra on three headed Airawat or Erawan, his mount.

pediment on eastern gopura or entrance

Indra on three headed Airawat

how beautiful the carving is, naag with makar on side

close up, Indra on Airawat at the entrance pediment

a view of all enclosures

A causeway(#2) leads to eastern gopura III, straight ahead in the above picture. On the sides are rudiments of columns which once stood.

These columns enclosed the corridor leading to the temple. The columns probably got damaged by elephants roaming in that area.

On the right side (southern gallery) of causeway, the pediment shows Shiva and Uma on Nandi(#3).

Probably Nandi sat at the entrance

bas-relief on a tympanum called Uma-Maheshwar, showing Lord Shiva on Nandi with his consort, Parvati

a close up of Uma-Maheshwar

The face of Parvati or Uma has been damaged.

On to the left of causeway (northern gallery) is a scene of Narsimha, an avatar of Vishnu who is half lion and half man slaying the demon Harinyakashyapu, the father of Prahlad, a great devotee of Vishnu, (#4)

According to Vishnu Purana, one of the Hindu religious texts, Prahalada was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. His father Hiranyakashyapu wanted to avenge the death of his brother, Hiranyaksh who was killed by Varahavatar, the third incarnation of Vishnu.

Hiranyakashyapu pleased Lord Brahma by his penance. When asked for a boon, Hiranyakashyapu asks for being immortal, which is not possible, so he asks he not be killed by any animal, human, inside or outside his house, during the day or night, neither on land or in sky, nor by any weapon. Brahma agrees to this. Fully assured that no one can kill him now as his conditions are impossible to fulfil, Hiranyakashyapu now forbids everyone in his kingdom to stop worshipping God and accept him as the Supreme.

His son, Prahlada is a great devotee of Lord Vishnu which is not tolerated by the father. When inspite of making him understand, Prahlad cotinues to worship Vishnu, he tries to kill his son in various ways by poisoning him, throwing him from mountain top, being trampled by elephants. When nothing worked, he asked his sister Holika to help him. Holika had recived a boon that she would not to be burnt by fire. So, Prahalada reciting his Lord's name sat on his aunt's lap on the burning pyre. To  great surprise, Holika got burnt and Prahalada is saved by the grace of his Lord. That day when Holika was burnt is celebrated as Holi amongst Hindus. It signifies the power of God's name and victory of good over evil.

Prahalada refused to accept Hiranyakashyapu as Supreme and kept on chanting the Lord's name. Tired one day of his son, Hiranyakashyapu asked his son, "Where does your Lord live?"  Everywhere, the son answered. "Does he live in this pillar?" and the son replied in affirmative.

Angered by now, Hiranyakashyapu strikes the pillar with his mace. With a huge roar, out comes Narsimha, the fourth incarnation of Vishnu.
Narsimha avatar is a form with the body of a human and face of a lion so is neither a human nor an animal. The pillar is in the courtyard which is neither inside or outside the house. The time is twilight which is neither day or night.
He takes Hiranyakashyapu on his lap which is neither land nor sky. With long claws which is no weapon, he tears his chest and slays him. Strange are the ways of God and whatever we may do, He finds a way to do his will.

damaged part of tympanum with Lakshmi

A lintel with Varun, son of sage Kashyap and God of ocean /water lies on the ground

a tympanum being assembled, makar on the side

Walking the rest of causeway leads to east gopura III. A boundary from this enclosure surrounds the moat and inner enclosures.

contd. to Prasat Banteay Srie 2, Siem Reap

Temples of Bali

Bali, the smallest island province of Indonesia, is predominantly Hindu but the rituals and religious practices are very different from those of current day India which also has majority of population following that faith. Every place has temples but what is so special about the temples in Bali?
I was fascinated when I saw their temples or Puras as they are called there which are so different from the temples of India, not only in their architecture but also in their beliefs.

Whatever may be the physical differences in architecture, all Hindu temples are made under the same principle.

In the construction of a Hindu temple, after a detailed study of the site following Vastushastra, a pot made of panchdhaatu ( five metals: gold, silver, copper, brass and lead) is placed just under the sanctum sanctorum along with other things. Sometimes iron is also put in place of brass.
Similarly, in the construction of a Balinese temple, the meru which forms the path through which God enters the temple is very special. A pripih which is a metal plate made of panchdhaatu wrapped in grass, flowers and cloth is placed to the base of the temple.
This place is the area of maximum electromagnetic waves on top of which the garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum is built.

A North Indian temple                                      A South Indian temple                                   A Bali temple

I do not know what I am writing is correct but what I gathered from talking to people is what I write. Proper and full knowledge would need a very long time and a longer stay in that beautiful island. Maybe, I will make another visit only to study the  temples in depth.

You see multi tiered roofs covered by black palm fiber from sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) which is in stark contrast to an Indian temple where the roofs are sloping and made of stone or concrete. The black thatch from sugar palm is resistant to sea water having a life of 10 to 15 years. This black thatch can only be used on top of temples and is forbidden to be used on houses. Once worn out they are replaced by new one and the old ones are thrown away into the sea so that they do not get reused or even misused.

roof of a temple

The architecture of temples in India reflect the different periods in which they were built so we find a variety of architecture in temples. There is also a difference in style between a North Indian and a South Indian temple.

Pura as I mentioned earlier is a temple complex in Bali. It is derived from the Sanskrit word Pur which means a walled city or place.  A Balinese temple has a wall surrounding the complex. Most Balinese have a family temple and outsiders are not permitted to enter the main temple. Some idol less temples are used for ceremonies and festivals where offerings are carried by women folk on gebogan. On the other hand, a Hindu temple in India always has an idol inside and is used for worship or other religious ceremonies.

A typical Balinese temple follows trimandala or the three mandala architectural pattern.

The candi bentar is the outermost gate, kori agung follows next which opens only on special days and then the paduraksha gate. No one is permitted to enter through the innermost gate.

entrance to temple

An entrance to a temple may have candi bentar, in which the gate is split like in the picture above. The word "candi" has been adopted from Javanese word for temples. The gate is guarded by temple guardians in Saput Poleng, the white and black checkered cloth which is tied at the waist.

kori agung entrance

Then there is other style called kori agung gate, in which the gate is covered.

Paduraksha gate

Paduraksha is the last gate or entrance to the main temple. The gates are guarded by guardians in Sabuk Polenta. The gate opens only on special occassion but no one is permitted to pass through it.

Paduraksha gate is the last area which contains the padmasana or the lotus throne.

throne of Acintya on padmasana

Empty throne of the Supreme God with Acintya and under that is AUM, Balinese style

Hinduism was initiated in Bali by Rhrishi Markandaya in 500 CE. People worshiped the many forms of God namely Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. But in the 16th century, religious reformer Dang Hyang Dwijendra and Gelgel King Batu Renggong, a priest introduced San Hyang Widhi Wasa or Sanghyang Widi Wasa.

This movement started when Islam started spreading in Java. Dang Hyang from east Java started building temples throughout Bali and propounding the "All-In-One God" concept to be at par with the Islam and Christian philosophy of one God.

Acintya which is derived from Sanskrit word Achintya (अचिन्त्य), which means something which is beyond contemplation, thought and imagination or  cannot be conceived.
It is depicted with a naked human form of sun god with radiating flames all around. He sits on an empty throne with the base of lotus. The throne is empty to represent that the Almighty who is "All in One" is something which is the one and only one and does not have a form.

The Acintya form signifies the monotheistic concept, that is belief in One God.
A three tiered meru temple is dedicated to him here at Pura Uluwatu where Dang Hyang is said to have attained moksha or enlightenment.

Without going into too much detail about the architecture and layout of a typical Balinese temple, I shall proceed to the tiered roofs called Merus. Gods enter temples through merus. The Indian temples also follow this belief. In Nepal they are called pataka.

The number of  tiers in Meru vary from one to eleven but always odd in number. The size of the tiers keep on decreasing in size as they go up. Also, the more the number of merus in a temple, more important is the temple it is dedicated to. Odd numbers- why? An even number is in pairs and complete in itself  whereas an odd number means an even number plus one which represents the Almighty.

Acintya in a temple in Denpasar

The Hindu gods as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are manifestation of the one and the only One God--- Acintya. This point is also expounded in Tulsi Ramayana where Hanuman tells Ravana that Ram is that supreme entity by whose strength Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva create, nurture and destroy (Sundarkand 20:2).

11-tiered roof of a temple

Unlike the old Hindu temples in Central Java where there is just a pinnacle, a Bali temple has merus numbering from 1 to 11.

The number of tiers in a meru is always odd starting from one to eleven. That means a temple will have 3, 5, 7, 9 or 11. The size of tiers become smaller as they go up. Higher the meru, higher is the status of God inside the temple. Since, Shiva has always been held at high esteem, his temple always has 11 merus.

But does the number of merus have any meaning or are dedicated to any God?

temple tiers

I was told by a priest in Bali that:

1 tier meru is dedicated to Gunung Batur, a sacred mountain in Northern Bangli Regency or to a local deity

3---- to sages, priests who are venerated

5---- Panchamahabhoot, the five elements that  make up the universe. They being Prithvi (earth), Jal (water), Tej (fire), Vaayu (air) and Akaash (space)

7----- Saptarishi or the 7 sages in Indian mythology. The sages are Kashyap(कश्यप), Bhardwaj (भरद्वाज), Vashishtha(वशिष्ट), Atri(अत्रि), Gautam(गौतम), Vishwamitra(विश्वामित्र) and Jamadagni (जमदग्नि)

9----- for Brahma and Vishnu. Brahma being the creator and Vishnu, the preserver.

11--- Mount Maha Meru, the peak of Gods, that is Shiva. In many temples it also represents the main deity inside.

There are different types of pura, depending on the place and rituals attached to where they are located.

Pura segara or the temples of sea. Segara comes from the word Saagar which means ocean. These are meant to please the sea deities and are situated by the sea. Appeasing sea deities? Nature can bring both wrath and glory to a place. In order to calm the water deities, temples were constructed close to all water bodies.
Tanah lot, Ulluwatu are such examples. Uluwatu guards the Indian ocean while Tanah lot protect the huge waves from entering the land. 

Tanah Lot temple

Uluwatu temple

Ulu meaning an edge and watu a cliff. The temple stands on a cliff edge.

Kechak dance in Uluwatu temple

Kechak dance is a dance dramatization of the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Pura Kahyangan Jagad or the temples situated on mountains, or their foot or slopes. Mountains are said to be abode of Gods. Pura Besakih is one of the most revered temples in Bali. It is situated at the base of Mount Agung, an active volcano. Here, again as Balinese worship nature, in which they worship mountains, trees, water etc. as manifestations of the supreme entity which created everything.

Besakih temple

Pura Tirtha are situated beside lakes. Pura Ulun Danu is one such example.

This temple is dedicated to Devi Danu, the goddess of lake.
Balinese believe in harmony with nature and believe that since they are giving so much to us, we should be indebted to them and give something back to nature. Subak, which is the irrigation system rests on this belief. Temples are the center of this system and the temple priest or Pedanda, the supreme authority.
The water which is allocated from the lakes enters the irrigation system and supplied to paddy fields.

water supply to paddy fields in Ubud

terrace farming

Some temples are considered sacred and bathing in such water is said to be holy.
Pura desa situated within a city for religious activities.

a temple in Denpasar

discussion area in temple

Discussion hall or bale agung has wooden columns and does not have any wall surrounding it. I was told that discussions and meetings pertaining to religious beliefs are held here.

Apart from these, every family or clan has their own temples. So every family would be a part of one or other temple.

A religious practice which is followed in Bali is Nyepi or the silent day. It is a 24 hour period starting from 6 am until 6 am the next morning. It falls on the same day as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Chaitra Navratris in Northern India. these festivals are the beginning of a new lunar year. Since these festivals follow the lunar calendar, the dates are not fixed and change every year.

It is day of silence with no fire and no light in the house. The offices and even the airport is shut down that day.
It is a day of contemplation, of introspection, thinking of any bad things people might have done in that year. They ask for forgiveness from their family members the next day. It is turning your negative energy into a positive one and start of a new year fresh.

Punjung is offering of fruits, cut fruits to god before eating.

Candi Pawon, Yogakarta, Indonesia

A very small but impressive temple is Candi Pawon between Borobudur and Candi Mendut. Some may not find it worth visiting as well.  The temple originally was not this small, it was damaged badly in an earthquake and was renovated finally in 1904.

Built during the 8th-9th century during the reign of Sailendra dyansty, the temple is located in Bajranalan village in Central Java Province.

Etymology of the temple name:
Pawon came from Per-awu-an, meaning a place where dust or ash is kept. It generally means kitchen which comes from the word awu or dust in Javanese so a place where dust or ash was kept. It also points to a place which served as a tomb or mortuary where the ashes of cremated king were kept. I might not be right but maybe that is the reason it faces west direction.

The temple base is square and has eight corners.

source: Wikipedia

The three Buddhist temples, Borobudur, Mendut and Pawon are all in a straight line. This temple is in the center with Borobudur in the east and Mendut on its west.

Candi Mendut

I passed through this temple while going to Borobudur and thought of doing it while coming back but got delayed and hence missed the chance of seeing Mendut from inside :(

The fact that these three Buddhist temples are aligned in a straight line suggests that it was supposedly a holy route with a pilgrim starting his journey towards Borobudur from west would first visit Mendut then Pawon and then pay visit to Borobudur.

 sign board outside the temple

The information board mentions that a statue of Bodhisattva was placed inside the central cell of the temple for honoring King Indra of Sailendra dynasty. Based on Karangtengah (a district) inscription of 824 AD, the statue emitted "vajra" or light so it is presumed that it was made of bronze.

According to Poerbatjaraka who was a Javanese philogist, Pawon is a part of Borobudur as there is a lot of similarity between Pawon, Mendut and Borobudur scriptures.

 west facing entrance of temple

Kaal and makar above the entrance

The kaalmukh is without any jaws.

The stairs on either side again have a kaalmukh on either side and makar in the bottom. There must have been one more makar on the other side but that too seems to have been damaged.

kaalmukh with jaws just near the entrance to temple room

makar, close up

Kubera

Kubera( God of wealth) stands in a niche on the north of entrance. There must have been one on the south of entrance which probably got damaged.

The temple walls on outside have bas reliefs.

bas relief on south of temple

bas relief on the north side of temple

back of temple

The bas reliefs are the same all around with a Kalpavriksh or Kalpataru (कल्पतरु), (wish yielding tree) flanked by Kinnar and Kinnaris (half bird and half human). Near the tree are two flying celestial beings.

On top of the tree is a pitcher containing the elixir of life with supposedly green leaves in it.
On the sides are Boddhisattava and Tara.

There are two vents above the bas relief, probably meant for ventilation of inner chamber.
The inner chamber contains absolutely nothing so can it also be hypothesized that the central chamber served as a place for exhuming of the King and the vents served as an outlet for smoke?

The roof of the temple has five dagobas or stupas. A large dagoba with four small ones around. As with other temples of the area, this temple too is made with the black volcanic rocks.

The temple does not attract a lot of tourists but if you have time, it is worth a visit.

Entrance ticket:
3,500 IDR (Indonesian Rupiah)