A view from the west

The face of a dvarapala male guardian at the western gopura

This is my final posting on the Baphuon, pending my next visit. These pictures are taken from the western gopura, which has been reconstructed and is visitable even if the main pyramid is out of bounds. It has decorative panels, a couple of legible lintels and dvarapala male guardians in niches, either side of the doorway.

The western side of the western gopura, leading onto the Baphuon

A male guardian, dvarapala, in reasonable condition, apart from his face

Close up detail of the dvarapala's clothing, hands and club

Another male dvarapala, designed to ward off bad spirits from entering through the gopura

This dvarapala has fared far less better than the others and is in poor condition

A rishi or wise man at the foot of the doorway colonette, in meditating posture

A decorative lintel still in situ, with kala and floral designs

This lintel with kala figure eating a garland has a broken figure of Vishvakarma seated above

Decorative panels

This panel at the Baphuon shows a large ox

My visit to the Baphuon didn't go to plan and as it was closed for the weekend, I didn't get to see the outstanding decorative panels and bas-reliefs that are on the pyramid itself. However, I did get to see some of the panels that are on the reconstructed western gopura and these give a flavour of the ones to be found on the main monument. They show scenes of individual animals or men fighting animals and suchlike. For a taste of what I hope to find on my next visit, though I expect much better quality and preservation, here are some of the panels from the gopura's walls, which can be visited even if the central pyramid is closed.

Man and beast, an ox I believe, in a duel

One animal kills another, though it looks like this ox has developed a taste for animal flesh

This warrior is either fighting or trying to control a horse

The bottom panel shows two horses rearing up against each other, or they could be just making friends

Another man versus beast decorative panel, this time a horse is being brought under control

This Baphuon panel shows a man engaged in a fight to the death with a lion

Closed at weekends

A look at the enormous pyramid at the Baphuon from the northern side

Blah, blah, biggest jigsaw in the world, blah, blah. How often is that quote wheeled out when talking about the Baphuon temple in Angkor. Damn, I did it too. Anyways, I had bided my time to revisit the Baphuon, knowing that lots of progress had been made in the last few years in piecing the temple back together again before taking the plunge to pay a visit last week. Of course, my plan shattered into tiny pieces when I read the sign at the eastern entrance that said access was closed at weekends; it was a Saturday. Bugger it. All I could do was walk around the outside of the central pyramid, though the reconstructed western gopura was accessible so it wasn't a complete wash-out. But I didn't get to see the reassembled reclining Buddha at close quarters (it's hard enough to make it out at a distance, impossible close-up) or more importantly, the panels and bas-reliefs that are the real jewels of the Baphuon. The panels display a range of animals, warrior duels and men fighting animals whilst the reliefs show scenes from the Ramayana. It was a disappointment of course, but there's always another day, preferably during the week. The Baphuon dates from the 11th century and hasn't really featured at the top of the roll-call of important Khmer temples due to its ruined state. But make no mistake, in its heyday it would've been an amazing sight. The 70-metre long Buddha was constructed around the 16th century using stones from other parts of the temple, when the temple was reconsecrated. The jigsaw analogy came during the 1960s when the French took it apart to put it back together again. The Khmer Rouge interrupted that plan and with 300,000 pieces of stone sat on the surrounding grass, the sounds of reconstruction began again in 1995. They are still going on today. But not on a Saturday.

The north and western sides of the Baphuon

Okay, you are looking at the reassembled reclining Buddha, believe me

In the middle of the picture is the head of the reclining Buddha

The elevated causeway that approaches the eastern entrance of the Baphuon

A closer look at the rounded and decorated columns that support the elevated causeway

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