Phanom Rung Historical Park Buri Rum Thailand

• Phanom Rung Historical Park is mounted on a volcanic hill 1,257 feet high in Buri Ram Province and is perhaps the most beautiful and important of the Khmer sites in Thailand.
• The location was originally a main stopping centre on the ancient Angkor Thom to Phimai laterite road. Built in the 12 C it was dedicated to the Hindu God, Shiva, the supreme Hindu Deity.
• The design of the complex on the hill is intended to symbolize Mount Kailasa, the Indian heavenly residence of Shiva. The main tower is 23 meters tall and 9.5 meters wide and is made of pink sandstone.
• It is understood that the complex was originally a palace and the buildings were designed to house elephants.
• The festival of Phanom Rung is celebrated on 13th April on which day as the plane of the ecliptic is aligned with the axis of the Temple, the Sun's rays shine through the doors and rooms of the Temple, one after another, from the east gopura to the west.

Khmer Symbolism And Mythology At Phanom Rung

• Phanom Rung has similar features to those at Phimai, it has access via a long causeway with terraces, the stone balustrades of which are shaped as serpents [ or Nagas ]. These nagas have multiple flaring heads which are crowned, and act as guardians of the earths' waters and are said to represent the rainbow, the link between the world of men and the Gods.
• Accordingly when one approaches these sanctuaries [ or Temples ] via these naga causeways one is reminded that as a devotee he or she is leaving the earthly plan, physically and spiritually, for higher levels of enlightenment.
• Phanom Rung has large and small ponds to represent the oceans. The central sanctuary is enclosed by narrow corridor galleries. Cruciform entrances [ or Gopuras ] are installed at cardinal points. Carvings of Hindu Gods ornament the pediments and lintels of these entrances.
• Within the sacred area the central ogival tower [ or prang ] culminates in a lotus bulb shaped finial and represents Mount Meru. This is built of sandstone.
• The Prang is many tiered and rests on a base, which is a tall re-dented cube like structure which itself is set on other re-dented and ascending sandstone platforms. Below the tiers of the tower and set in the cube re-dented base was placed the linga, or phallic emblem of the God Shiva.