Beautiful lintels at Wat Phu

The southern door has a beautiful rendition of Krishna subduing the poisonous snake Kaliya by dancing on his head and splitting him into two pieces

There's not enough hours in the day - I'm sure I've said that before! However, I have finally found a spare few moments to post some of the gorgeous lintels and carvings that can be found in the central sanctuary of Wat Phu, the Khmer-built temple ruins set on a mountainside in southern Laos, which I visited recently. The lintels are beautifully carved, contain a variety of motifs and scenes and I'm sure there's a couple that I forgot to photograph in my haste. Note for myself - make sure you don't miss any in future by doing a methodical check before you leave, as you don't know when you will return! Nevertheless, this 11th century temple is unique in many ways and is definitely worth visiting if you are in Laos.

On this broken half pediment, worshipping figures pay respect to a meditating Shiva

On this lintel over the southern door to the central sanctuary resides Indra on his three-headed elephant mount Airavata, with two kalas at either end keeping guard

Vishvakarma is never far from the action and appears here sitting on a fierce kala on this lintel above one of the antechamber doorways

On this slightly worn lintel over the central doorway, Indra is again accompanied by his 3-headed Airavata

This interesting lintel shows a meditating Shiva, as a rishi, in the center of a line of worshipping and praying figures, sat atop a kala

A close-up of Shiva in deep meditation, sitting on a pedestal and holding a rosary

This gorgeous lintel shows Vishvakarma in full pomp and ceremony, above a kala and surrounded by four rearing lions