Angkor mystery

A stupa-style construction, located in a remote part of the Angkor Park

On my trip to Isaan last October, I photographed a series of lotus crowns that I came across and posted them in this blog post. These are usually found at the very pinnacle of the massive sandstone towers that dominate many ancient Khmer temples. Occasionally, you can find them on the floor, usually if the temple has undergone renovation and the crown is simply too large or heavy to return to its original location. The two sandstone items shown here, that I spied in a remote area between the Bayon and the Baphuon in the Angkor Park, aren't lotus crowns in that sense, though one is a stupa-like construction with a lotus-crowned top whilst the other resembles a bell-shape; perhaps part of a similar object as its close neighbour. If you have an idea as to what they represent and why they are there, feel free to share it.

A bell or dome-shaped sandstone construction located between the Bayon and the Baphuon