The Legacy of Angkor in Isan: Prasat Phnom Rung

by JG Learned

Cambodia is the direct descendant of the once powerful and sophisticated Khmer Empire whose borders, during the Angkor Era (8th to 14th centuries AD), encompassed much of what are now Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. The legacy of this civilization can be seen in the exquisite temples of that period, many of which have been reclaimed from the dense jungle where they have remained forgotten for centuries.

Archaeological evidence suggests the first humans inhabited Cambodia from around 4200 BC. As early as 1000 BC, Cambodians were building wooden houses on stilts, much as they are today. Indian influence first became apparent in the first century CE, brought by traders headed for Southern China.

The Hindu kingdom of Funan rose to power in the first century CE. It flourished for nearly 500 years before giving way to the Chenla Empire, (6th - 8th centuries), during which time the population became centralized along the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap. Shortly after this, with the advent of Angkor, Cambodia became one of the most powerful empires in South East Asia.

What is referred to as the Angkor Era began with the accession to the throne of Jayavarman II in 802 AD. From Angkor, a highly developed system of roads linked the fringes of the empire to the capital. Khmer influence spread as far north as Luang Prabang in Laos, southwards far down the Malay peninsula and as far west as today's border between Burma and Thailand.

Having established himself as devaraja, a god-king, Jayavarman made Shivaism the official state religion and initiated the construction of vast temple complexes in Angkor and throughout his Empire. Complex networks of irrigation channels provided for extensive rice cultivation, enough to feed the dense population of Angkor, in its day larger than any city in Europe. The astounding achievements in art and architecture that characterize the Angkor Period continued for the next several hundred years.

In the eleventh century, the dynasty began to weaken. A return to anarchy was stemmed when Suryavarman I came to power. He reunited the provinces, including parts of what is now Thailand, and reestablished a strong empire. Surayavarman's successor, Surayavarman II, extended the empire to include Vietnam. But Surayavarman II is most remembered for the creation of Angkor Wat.

The Khmer Empire reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries A.D. In 1253, Ghengis Khan brought Yunnan Province in Southern China under control. Many of the indigenous peoples living in mountainous Yunnan migrated south to escape the marauding Mongols. Among them were the Tai, whose descendants make up what is today Thailand and Laos. As the Tai moved south they inundated and displaced the local Mon-Khmer inhabitants, forcing them from the fertile lowland rice lands to higher, less arable ground.

The emergence of the Thai Ayuthaya dynasty in Siam marked the final decline of the Khmer Empire. From the 13th century onwards, Thais and Cambodians fought almost continuously, with the Thais gradually gaining more and more Angkor-ruled territory. Once the Khmer advanced as far as Ayuthaya, only to find it occupied by the Burmese at that time! The Siamese sacked Angkor several times in the 15th and 16th centuries, sounding the death knell for the Angkorian Empire.

In Laos, most traces of the earlier Khmer civilization have disappeared. However in the northeastern provinces of Thailand, called Isan, a rich legacy of splendid Khmer architecture remains. Among the best known are Phimai, Phnom Rung, Phra Kao Viharn and Muang Tham.

Their sculptural art is exquisite and in many cases better preserved than on Khmer temples in Cambodia itself. The Thai Khmer art style is often referred to as Lopburi style, after a city to the north of Bangkok, which was a great center of Khmer culture.

That Phnom Rung is built of sandstone and laterite, 1,320 feet above sea level on the rim of an extinct volcano on the Buriram plain in Southern Isan. Lava is still scattered around the top. In the former times the crater was a natural baray or reservoir. Most of the present structure was build by a local Khmer lord in the 12th century. The structure, however, overlies a series of earlier brick temples, which, judging from the earliest of eleven inscriptions found at Phnom Rung, go back at least to the 7th or 8th centuries.

The temple is dedicated to Shiva, but figures of Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesh, and Nandin figure prominently. A long avenue leading up to a broad staircase and a terrace ends in 5-headed mythical snakes (nagas). A gateway opens onto the central courtyard containing the main sanctuary. The lintel over the eastern porch of the main sanctuary is comprised of two parts: the upper part depicts a ten-armed dancing Shiva and on the lower part, Vishnu floats on the ocean while sleeping on a snake.

Mandalas in the shape of eight petaled lotus flowers are depicted in various places at Phnom Rung. The biggest are found on the first and second naga bridges. The smallest are engraved on small gold leaves used for offerings.

Unique for Phnom Rung is the 75-meter long corridor through the temple complex, which allows the rays of the rising sun to penetrate the temple, casting its light on the lingam in the central sanctuary four times a year.

The 15 doorways of Phnom Rung can be compared to an ancient astronomical instrument called a nalika by the ancient Vedic Indians – modern astronomers call it a dioptra. Nalika means tube in Sanskrit ('time' in modern Thai) and is actually just a long tube through which the astronomer can watch stellar objects and follow their movements.

Asger Mollerup is a Danish author, linguist and archeo-astronomer living in Isan. He has been studying the alignment of the temple in regards to the heavens. He regards the doorways of Phnom Rung as a giant nalika, through which an astronomer can observe the movements of the sun and afterwards adjust a calendar so that it corresponds with the actual events on the celestial sphere. Such an adjustment happened in February this year: one day was added, giving February 29 days. On March 6th there will be another solar event at Phnom Rung: At 18:14 the setting sun will be visible through all 15 gates.

Asger writes: “Modern – and ancient astronomy as well – distinguish between two kinds of lunar months:

1) A synodic month on 29.5 days is the average period from one full moon to the next full moon.

2) A sidereal month on 27.3 days is the period in which the moon orbits the sun. This means that if the moon is observed near a star in for example the zodiac sign Leo then after 27.3 days the moon can be observed at the same position.

“And this latter period, the sidereal month, might be the secret of That Phnom Rung! From the sunset in March to the sunrise in April the period is 27.5 days. Observing the moon 2 hours after sunset in March and then again 2 hours before the sunrise in April, the moon can be seen in the last part of the zodiac sign of Leo, and on both occasions in conjunction with the planet Jupiter.

“The sunset on March 6th is 14 days before Equinox Day, March 20th, when the sun rises straight east, a day the Vedic people of ancient India celebrated as New Year. The sunrise on April 3rd is 14 days after Vedic New Year. This means that from the sunset event to the sunrise event there is a period of 28 days – or more exactly 27.5 days.

“The orientation of the present structure and the orientation of the elder brick temples are the same, meaning that the concept of orientating the temple deviating from straight east goes back to at least to the 7th or 8th century A.D.”

He has passed his data on to the director at Phnom Rung so the next annual festival can coincide with the sunrise, and hopefully attract many visitors. For 2004 (2547 BC) the festival should start on Friday the 2nd April, which happens to be the birthday of the protector of Phnom Rung, Crown Princess Sirinthorn. The rising sun will be visible through all 15 gates on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. On the 3rd it will rise straight through the middle.

If you have the opportunity, it will be a splendid chance to experience a celestial event. But Phnom Rung is worth a visit anytime, especially to archaeologists and historians. This well-preserved jewel of the days of Angkor cannot help but to raise a feeling of awe and respect for the knowledge and skills and aesthetic sense possessed by the remarkable Khmer, predecessors of today's Cambodians.

Prasat Phnom Rung is located in Tambon Ta Pek, Chalerm Prakiat District, Buriram Province. To arrange a tour, contact us.