Thursday, May 16, 2019

Candi Plaosan, North temple

The north and south temple are surrounded by a wall which in turn is surrounded by perwara temples. The twin temples are connected to each other by a gate.

the other temple, both temples are connected to each other by a gate

The top of the gate is decorated by Kaal with absence of lower jaw. The gate is similar to the ones outside.

Inside the temple:
Like the south temple, here also there are three chambers with images of Boddhisattava. It pained to see all images without heads. They have all been stolen away and sold to collectors. In fact,  two heads were stolen as late as 2010. The reason probably is that the South temple has a door which gets locked but here in the North temple, there is no door which can get locked. Not that a simple lock would deter any person with the ill motive of stealing something as beautiful as Buddha head and selling at the international market.
It is an offence to sell or buy Buddha heads in Thailand. I do not understand what pleasure do the collectors get in having a Buddha head? Isn't it more beautiful to see the whole image sitting in a transcendental meditation posture?

Moreover, the fields surrounding the temple provide ample opportunity for such people to sneak in and do their work at leisure.

images in the central chamber
The above images are sitting in padmasana or the lotus posture. Although, it is difficult to identify which Bodhisattva they might be  but it is understood that similar images like those in the South temple are here as well. Like in the southern temple, the central image of Buddha is missing.

The makar on top looks different from the one at the southern temple.

In the chamber on left side or the west side are images of Bodhisattva Manjusri and Sarwaniwaranawiskambhin


Boddhisattva Manjusri 

The style of sitting is same as in southern temple, right leg on a pedestal, and left leg folded at knee.

Bodhisattva Sarwaniwaranawiskambhin in padmasanana or lotus position

In the east side chamber are images of Bodhisattva Samatabhadra and Maitreya

Bodhisattava Maitreya

Bodhisattava Samatabhadra

North temple was for bhikkhunis so the outside wall has female figures.

female figures

The reliefs outside the temple are those of female figures. 
To the north of this temple is mandapa which too has many Buddha images but without heads.

I continue to South temple .......


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