Preah Ko (, "The Sacred Bull") was the first temple to be built in the ancient and now defunct city of Hariharalaya (in the area that today is called Roluos), some 15 kilometers south-east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia. The temple was built under the Khmer Empire King Indravarman I in 879 to honor members of the king's family, whom it places in relation with the Hindu deity Shiva.[ art-and-archaeology.com]
Etymology
Preah Ko (Sacred Bull) derives its name from the three statues of sandstone located in the front of and facing the temple's central towers.
[ Canby Publications] These statues represent Nandi, the white bull who serves as the mount of
Shiva.
[Higham, C., 2001, The Civilization of Angkor, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ]
History
After the Khmer king
Jayavarman II founded the
Khmer empire in 802 A.D., he finally established his capital at
Hariharalaya, where he died.
was the nephew of
Jayavarman II. When he ascended to the throne, he ordered the construction first of Preah Ko, which was dedicated in 879, and later of the temple-mountain known as the
Bakong. It is likely that this building program was made possible by the king's peaceful reign and his ability to draw income from the expanding empire. A restoration of the towers took place in early 1990s, financed by German government.
[ autoriteapsara.org]
Site
Preah Ko consists of six brick towers arranged in two rows of three towers each perched on a sandstone platform. The towers face east, and the front central tower is the tallest. The sanctuaries are dedicated to three divinized forefathers of Indravarman and their respective wives. The front central tower is dedicated to
Jayavarman II, the founder of the Khmer empire.
The tower to the left is dedicated to Prithivindreshvara, King Indravarman's father; the tower to the right to Rudreshvara, his grandfather. The three rear towers are dedicated to the wives of these three men.
[ Ohio State University ] The central towers all bear images of the
Hindu god
Shiva.
[Higham, C., 2014, Early Mainland Southeast Asia, Bangkok: River Books Co., Ltd., ]
Gallery
File:Preah Ko 2.jpg|
File:Preah Ko 3.jpg|
File:Roulos Group - 003 Preah Ko (8588894346).jpg|
File:Roulos Group - 002 Preah Ko (8588893064).jpg|
File:Roulos Group - 001 Preah Ko (8588892040).jpg|
File:Preah Kô4.JPG|
File:Gardien de porte du temple Preah Kô (Angkor) (6823876122).jpg|
File:Gardienne du temple Lolei (Angkor) (6969557243).jpg|
File:Gardienne du temple Lolei (Angkor) (6826225808).jpg|
File:Gardienne du temple Preah Kô (Angkor) (6823876596).jpg|
File:Fausse-porte du temple Preah Kô (Angkor) (6821828786).jpg
File:Linteau du temple Preah Kô (Angkor) (6969999537).jpg|
File:Chinhe Preah Ko Cambodia0602.jpg|
File:Nandi Preah Ko Cambodia0573.jpg|
File:Taureaux Nandin du temple Preah Kô (Angkor) (6967953405).jpg|
See also
Footnotes
