Phnom Bok (Khmer: ភ្នំ បូក) is a hill in the northeast east of Baray in Cambodia, with a prasat (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភ្នំបូក) of the same name built on it. It is one of the "trilogies of the mountains", each of which has a temple with similar layout. The creation of the temple is credited to the reign of Yasovarman I (889-910) [2]: 65 between the IX and X centuries; established after he changed his capital to Angkor and named it Yasodharapura. The two other sister temples, named after the contiguous hills, are Phnom Bakheng and Phnom Krom.

The site of the three hills was chosen by Yashovarman I along with the Eastern Baray (where only the base of the central shrine is surviving). In the tenth century, these shrines had high religious value during the Angkorian government. [6] Temples called as part of an "architectural triad" brought an element of architectural style experimentation in the Angkorian period. [7] From the astronomical references planned for three temples, the four noted three alignments, namely the equinox and the winter and the solar solstices can be observed from the western entrance of the Phnom Bok hill temple, which is also known by the triple sanctuary dedicated to the Trimurti.

Geography

Phnom Bok is the third natural site of the hill. Its elevation is 221 meters (725 feet). The hill is about 25 kilometers (16 mi) northeast of Siem Reap. It is approached from the road to Banteay Srei. An eastbound road leads to Banteay Samré for another 6 km (6.0 mi) from where the hill is approached via 635 steps leading to the top where the Phnom Bok temple is situated. From the top of this mountain, although the temple is seen mostly in ruins, the panoramic views seen around are from Lake Tonlé Sap, from the Phnom Kulen to the north and vast plains of rice paddies to the south. Like Phnom Krom, Phnom Bok consists of sandstone with relatively high magnetic susceptibility.

History

Yasovarman I, son of Indravarman I (his capital was in Hariharalaya), moved the capital to Yashodarapura (the first capital of Angkor meaning "The City Bears Glory" [11]). The temples he built in addition to Phnom Bok in 910 AD consisted of Lolei (893 AD), Pra Vihear (893 AD), Phnom Bakheng, the royal temple (900 AD) and Phnom Krom (910 AD). However, Yashovarman did not choose Phnom Bok as the capital near the city of Hariharalaya, as he deemed inappropriate due to his "nuisance and very loud" a place to mark as the center of the city. He also did not choose the Phnom Krom hill because he considered it very close to the Tonle Sap lake. Eventually, Phnom Bakhen's triumvirate of hills was chosen as the capital for its low height and great extent of land available to establish a capital. His goal was also to build a temple to house a sling, which would go beyond his father's Indresvara and call him Yashodaresvara. He also named his capital as Yashodarapura, which became the first capital city of Angkor. He, however, installed the Trimurtis in the temples on the other two hills of Phnom Bok and Phnom Krom. [13] Hindu Trimurti statues were found in both Phnom Bok and Phnom Krom.

Architecture

Prasat Phnom Bok, rectangular in shape and attributed to the reign of Yasovarman I, is similar in design to Phnom Krom prasat. However, while the central tower of Phnom Krom is larger than the other two flanking towers, the Phnom Bok prasat has three identical sanctuary towers followed on a single terrace.

The temple is a monument of Angkor. It is dedicated to the Trimurti of the Hindu pantheon: Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara or Shiva. It was built in Bakheng style (893-927) and designed with individual sanctums, which have door openings to the east and west. These are created on a base with a skirting made of laterite stone. The gables of Bakheng and Phnom Bok are said to "represent heads of the thirty-three deities of the Hindu pantheon". [14] They are said to be a "good example of the head of Shiva in the form of Chandrasekhara with the prominent moon over his locks" in the temple. The summer solstice that took place over the Phnom Bok hill temple, which had the images of Trimurtis challenged on it, can be observed from the western entrance of the temple.

The monuments of Angkor built in the architecture of the Angkor period in Bakheng style [15] were made of sandstone and laterite, but the masonry was also adopted. Laterite was used for walls, platforms and decks. The gray yellow sandstone was the main stone used in the temples.

Although the temple is in good condition, there is an overgrowth of two large frangipani trees (Plumeria) over the ruined temple towers. They say that when the flowers bloom in these trees, the appearance of "some kind of extravagant haircut" is discerned.