One of my fave prasats

This defaced pediment is located on the eastern gopura of Banteay Thom. The Lokeshvara has been expertly chiselled away leaving two asuras either side who are seen torturing the central missing figure. Crowned worshipping figures sitting in anjali are below

One of my favourite smaller temples at Angkor has to be Prasat Banteay Thom. It's rarely visited - the policeman on duty told me I was the first visitor for a month when I paid a visit a couple of weeks ago - and I remember it very fondly after my first visit in 1999, just a couple of years after it had been 're-discovered.' In its prime it would've been a real jewel with lots of intricate carvings on pediments, lintels and wall panels throughout the site. Today its a victim of religious mutilation and modern robbery. As a temple built by Jayavarman VII, it was constructed in the early 13th century and despite the disfigurements of the latter part of that century and the temple thieves of the last decade, it still has much to see. Because of its remote location off the normal tourist route - access is only possible by walking or by moto - quite of few of the devatas in niches are sadly missing their heads and many of the lintels and pediments have been vandalized. Nevertheless, I urge you to pay a visit and I will bring you some of its iconography and carvings in this and a couple more postings.

A wall panel shows Preah Thorani (Goddess of the Earth) standing on a lotus wringing her hair to defeat Mara with two figures in medallions with long javelins

A female devata that has lost her head in the last decade

A similar devata that has so far managed to keep her head, holds onto her earring

A dvarapala door guardian figure - guarding the abode of Shiva - at Banteay Thom

The face of this fierce dvarapala guardian has been eroded, with a kala carving on top

This dvarapala has lost his head too, like many of the devata at the temple

This shows the laterite gallery that runs around the temple and a large banyan tree that clings to the walls