9/01/2006

Swallowed by Jungle



Ta Prohm, meaning “old Brahma” was built in 1186 by (or rather for) Jayavarman VII who consecrated the statue Prajnaparamita meaning the Goddess of Wisdom inside. The sign outside says that Jayavarman associated the goddess with his mother.

Situated at least a kilometer into the woods from the road, Ta Prohm is one of the most popular and beautiful of the Angkor sites. Everywhere one looks, one can see trees breaking down the temple walls, dislodging the stone and putting whole walls at impossible angles. Massive and muscular roots stretch from the high points of the monastery into the ground. The walls are green with grass and moss, giving the place a cool damp feeling.

We spent a lot of time at Ta Prohm, more than any other temple except Bayon (which we visited twice), because we first took the wrong path out. We also had some trouble trying to navigate back through the monastery. It was a maze of courtyards and connecting corridors.


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