Neak Pean Temple
"The entwined serpents"
Date: second half of the 12th century
King: Jayavarman VII
Cult : Buddhist
Clearing: H. Marchal from 1922 to 1924 with anastylosis by M. Glaize from 1938 - 1939
Built by king Jayavarman VII before the end of the 12th century, this monument - Neak Poan or the entwined naga - is an artificial island, measuring 350 meters on each side, built in the middle of a reservoir which is also man- made. The modern name, Neak Poan, comes from the motif of serpents encircling the base of the central sanctuary.
An inscription notes that it is "a sacred island, drawing its charm from its ponds and clearing away the sins of those who approach it". The ponds in question number four. They were fed by a complex system of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic fountains. The mysterious curative function of its waters was all the more so, given that the myth of the deliverance of a group of shipwrecked
Neak Pean is standing on the same line to Ta Som and Preah Khan temples locating to the east and the west of lake. The reservoir, which measured 3500 meters by 900 meters, was originally called Jayatataka or "the reservoir of Jayavarman VII". Its modern name is Veal Reach Dak or "plain of the royal reservoir", revealing the collective historical memory of the inhabitants of Angkor who are aware that its four cornered form originate from a Baray, a royal hydraulic project which today lies dry.
Just beyond Krol Ko, the 300 metre route Trouvé leads to the small island of Neak Pean. This is the "Mebon" of the Prah Khan baray (the "Jayatataka" of the inscription) measuring 3,500 metres by 900 - the two monuments being aligned on the same axis. The island, of 350 metres each side, was defined by a system of laterite steps with pavements set on the axes. Small elephants must once have stood at the four corners since there is still one in place - to the north-east.
King Jayavarman VII, the Prah Khan stele tells us, placed the "Jayatataka" - the "Northern Lake" of Tcheou Ta-Kouan - "like a mirror, coloured by stones, gold and garlands. The pool shines, illuminated by the light of the golden prasat and coloured red with lotus blossom, evoking an image of the pool of blood spilled by the Bhargava: inside is an eminent island, charmed by the pools which surround it, cleansing from the stain of sin all those who come into its contact and serving as a vessel to cross the Ocean of Existence".
The symbolic character of Neak Pean is so established. Already in 1877 Delaporte saw there a building consecrated to the Buddha attaining the glory of Nirvana, with a series of pools cleansing the pilgrims of their sins and lifting them to supreme perfection. After research by Mssrs Cœdes, Finot and Goloubew, we can recognise in the central basin a replica of lake Anavatapta, to be found in the region of the Himalaya at the summit of the world and venerated in India for the healing powers of its waters. It is the source of the four large rivers of the Earth that flow through as many sculpted gargoyles, corresponding to the four cardinal points, which one can also find here with some slight variation.
"An expanse of water and a lotus which arises from it, carrying the supreme god. It is a schema of the Pure World, closely related to the theme of Vishnou reclining on the waters emitting the lotus of Brahma". Paul Mus' beautiful image could be considered as the very definition of this sacred water and of its sanctuary.
In the middle of the now dry northern baray, Neak Pean itself is but a series of "srahs" (pools) - some with stone surrounds - whose outlines were found within the limits of the laterite enclosure. In plan, a large square pool of 70 metres each side is bordered by steps and has at its centre - surrounded by similar steps - a circular island of 14 metres in diameter on its upper level with a small sanctuary. Four secondary pools of 25 metres each side flank it on the axes, marked by four chapels set into the common surrounding bank.
Two nagas surround the base of the circular island with their tales entwined to the west - from where derives the name Neak Pean. Their heads - separated in order to allow passage to the east - are treated in the manner of the naga Mucilinda which shelters the statues of the Buddha. These are, with their axial head coiffed with a "mukuta", a representation of the two large Nagarajas - Nanda and Upananda - often associated in Indian literature with lake Anavatapta.
The upper platform appears as the enormous corolla of a lotus blossom, a motif repeated at the base of the prasat by a row of 16 opposing petals, undercut with a groove and particularly pleasing. The Buddhist sanctuary, although the idol had disappeared, has two upper tiers crowned with a lotus and frontons dedicated to the life of the Buddha, - the "Cutting of the Hair" to the east, - the "Grand Departure" to the north, - and Buddha (defaced) meditating under the Bodhi tree to the west - while the southern tympanum has been defaced. The plan is cruciform with an east door - the three others having been walled in and then sculpted with three fine panels containing large images of Lokesvara, the compassionate bodhisattva.
The process of anastylosis revealed other transformations, showing that the construction was undertaken in at least two stages. It appears that the sanctuary itself, originally open to the four cardinal points, had its entrance stair enlarged to form a cross - with a banal decoration of devatas - and was rounded by the addition in the inward corners of the three headed elephant which one also finds at the gates of Angkor Thom, but here surmounted with a rearing lion instead of the figure of Indra.
In similar fashion, on the circular island, an earlier system of steps in laterite and sandstone with a stairway to the east was covered with the present surfacing, which is ornate and all in sandstone. It is possible that these additions and alterations corresponded, as Mr Cœdes has suggested, to a change in cult or destination. Neak Pean, though dedicated to the Buddha at the time of its construction, would have been avowed to Lokesvara only towards the end of the reign of Jayavarman VII, at the time when the pools were arranged for healing ablution or purification.
Whatever the reason, the ornamentation of the initial prasat - and notably of its pilasters and frontons - places it in that part of the 12th century subsequent to Angkor Wat, while the unity of style and conception of the monument confines it to a limited period.
The four chapels are set into the steps of the central pool just to the base of their frontons, and are all similar. Each is open to the secondary pool, with the line of the opening arch following the full tympanum of the gable end wall. Composed of a continuous nave whose oval formed corbelled vault is decorated internally with lotus coffers and with, at the back, a mid height platform serving as a base for a mascaron gargoyle and a plinth for an idol, each has the external appearance of a groin-vaulted central core, square in plan and surmounted by a pinnacle, which is extended, on its main axis, by two gable ended avant-corps - the whole then flanked laterally on each side by three similar but less dominant projections. The decor is remarkably fine, and the scenes with figures are without exception consecrated to Lokesvara.
Central pond:
the main shrine of this temple was designed in the middle of the central pond. It has a form of a lotus bud and its base is surrounded by two big Naga sculptures. This shrine has a real door to the east and three blind doors on other sides.there’re figures of Buddha Avalokitesvara on its wall. The head of Buddha’s figure to the north door was stolen in 1982. Each corner of the central shrine originally had three headed elephant statue with lion statue riding on top which were made of bronze. A three headed elephant statue symbolized Indra who is a king of heaven, and the lion statue symbolized Kubera, the god of wealth. In the 14th century, Siamese conquered Angkor city. They took those bronze statues from this temple to Aryuthaya city in Thailand. In the 15th century, the Burmese conquered Aryuthaya, and they took those bronze statues to Mandalay city. Today those statues are still in the museum of Myanmar.
Horse statue:
in the front of the central shrine, there’s a horse statue, in an action of taking off, carrying a group of people. This horse called Balaha. Balaha was a reincarnation of Budhisatva Avalokitesvara. this statues shows one scene of a legend, where Buddha transformed as a flying white horse with five heads to rescue his devotees from a sinking ship caused by a female demon who wanted to eat them.
Symbolic:
the central pond of Neak Pean symbolizes Anavatapata Lake. The real location of this lake was believed as the top of Himalaya Mountain. Anvatapata Lake contained spring water and it was protected by Naga and Nagi. According to the legend, Anvatapata Lake was a place where all gods from Mt-Meru and heavens came to take a bath after they had finished their yearly duties.
Four other ponds: there’s a sandstone structure at the edge of every small ponds. There’s a head of man, lion, horse, and elephant in those structure symbolizing the four elements.
Drainage and Symbolic:
there’s a drainage in each structure symbolizing the four sacred rivers originated from Mt.Himalaya which provided Holy River for Hindu followers. Those Rivers are Ganga River, Brahmaputra River, Jumana River and Induse River. Today those rivers locate in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Before the cleaning ceremony began, the people had to ask the astrologer what element they had, before they cleaned sin and sickness. Then they invited the monks who were holy men to take a small boat to the central shrine to pray to a golden Buddha statue to take holy water. After that, the monk poured holy water into the drainage to run through to head statue to clean a sinner who was sitting under the spout in there. The people who had water element, had to go to this north structure to clean sin by holy water from the elephant mouth. In here, the sinner had to sit on a lotus pedestal and faced out to the north. The east structure had a human head for the people who had earth element. The south structure had a lion head for the people who had fire element. The west structure had a horse head for the people who had wind element.
Until it was damaged by a storm in 1935, the central sanctuary of Neak Pean was crowned by an enormous Ficus, the sacred tree. In an extraordinary arrangement, its overhanging branches gave a haunting charm to the composition of the monument. Having become its living skeleton, it had formed a rigid foundation with the sinews of its roots framing the sculpted panels and overshadowing the water - but in return, however, managing to crumble much of the superstructure and dislodge that which remained.
In its renovated form Neak Pean is quite different, and although the part played by nature may no longer prevail, the work of man wins in clarity. Situated in a delightful setting and reflected sometimes during October or November in the water of its basins - the filling of which relies on the flow from the neighbouring river - this temple is like no other. It is undoubtedly one of the "delights" of Khmer art, bringing to mind, with the processional way lined with bornes at Prah Khan on which it depends, ideas of "Le Notre", with his decorative compositions of landscape and pools.
"The entwined serpents"
Date: second half of the 12th century
King: Jayavarman VII
Cult : Buddhist
Clearing: H. Marchal from 1922 to 1924 with anastylosis by M. Glaize from 1938 - 1939
Built by king Jayavarman VII before the end of the 12th century, this monument - Neak Poan or the entwined naga - is an artificial island, measuring 350 meters on each side, built in the middle of a reservoir which is also man- made. The modern name, Neak Poan, comes from the motif of serpents encircling the base of the central sanctuary.
An inscription notes that it is "a sacred island, drawing its charm from its ponds and clearing away the sins of those who approach it". The ponds in question number four. They were fed by a complex system of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic fountains. The mysterious curative function of its waters was all the more so, given that the myth of the deliverance of a group of shipwrecked
Neak Pean is standing on the same line to Ta Som and Preah Khan temples locating to the east and the west of lake. The reservoir, which measured 3500 meters by 900 meters, was originally called Jayatataka or "the reservoir of Jayavarman VII". Its modern name is Veal Reach Dak or "plain of the royal reservoir", revealing the collective historical memory of the inhabitants of Angkor who are aware that its four cornered form originate from a Baray, a royal hydraulic project which today lies dry.
King Jayavarman VII, the Prah Khan stele tells us, placed the "Jayatataka" - the "Northern Lake" of Tcheou Ta-Kouan - "like a mirror, coloured by stones, gold and garlands. The pool shines, illuminated by the light of the golden prasat and coloured red with lotus blossom, evoking an image of the pool of blood spilled by the Bhargava: inside is an eminent island, charmed by the pools which surround it, cleansing from the stain of sin all those who come into its contact and serving as a vessel to cross the Ocean of Existence".
The symbolic character of Neak Pean is so established. Already in 1877 Delaporte saw there a building consecrated to the Buddha attaining the glory of Nirvana, with a series of pools cleansing the pilgrims of their sins and lifting them to supreme perfection. After research by Mssrs Cœdes, Finot and Goloubew, we can recognise in the central basin a replica of lake Anavatapta, to be found in the region of the Himalaya at the summit of the world and venerated in India for the healing powers of its waters. It is the source of the four large rivers of the Earth that flow through as many sculpted gargoyles, corresponding to the four cardinal points, which one can also find here with some slight variation.
"An expanse of water and a lotus which arises from it, carrying the supreme god. It is a schema of the Pure World, closely related to the theme of Vishnou reclining on the waters emitting the lotus of Brahma". Paul Mus' beautiful image could be considered as the very definition of this sacred water and of its sanctuary.
In the middle of the now dry northern baray, Neak Pean itself is but a series of "srahs" (pools) - some with stone surrounds - whose outlines were found within the limits of the laterite enclosure. In plan, a large square pool of 70 metres each side is bordered by steps and has at its centre - surrounded by similar steps - a circular island of 14 metres in diameter on its upper level with a small sanctuary. Four secondary pools of 25 metres each side flank it on the axes, marked by four chapels set into the common surrounding bank.
Two nagas surround the base of the circular island with their tales entwined to the west - from where derives the name Neak Pean. Their heads - separated in order to allow passage to the east - are treated in the manner of the naga Mucilinda which shelters the statues of the Buddha. These are, with their axial head coiffed with a "mukuta", a representation of the two large Nagarajas - Nanda and Upananda - often associated in Indian literature with lake Anavatapta.
The upper platform appears as the enormous corolla of a lotus blossom, a motif repeated at the base of the prasat by a row of 16 opposing petals, undercut with a groove and particularly pleasing. The Buddhist sanctuary, although the idol had disappeared, has two upper tiers crowned with a lotus and frontons dedicated to the life of the Buddha, - the "Cutting of the Hair" to the east, - the "Grand Departure" to the north, - and Buddha (defaced) meditating under the Bodhi tree to the west - while the southern tympanum has been defaced. The plan is cruciform with an east door - the three others having been walled in and then sculpted with three fine panels containing large images of Lokesvara, the compassionate bodhisattva.
The process of anastylosis revealed other transformations, showing that the construction was undertaken in at least two stages. It appears that the sanctuary itself, originally open to the four cardinal points, had its entrance stair enlarged to form a cross - with a banal decoration of devatas - and was rounded by the addition in the inward corners of the three headed elephant which one also finds at the gates of Angkor Thom, but here surmounted with a rearing lion instead of the figure of Indra.
In similar fashion, on the circular island, an earlier system of steps in laterite and sandstone with a stairway to the east was covered with the present surfacing, which is ornate and all in sandstone. It is possible that these additions and alterations corresponded, as Mr Cœdes has suggested, to a change in cult or destination. Neak Pean, though dedicated to the Buddha at the time of its construction, would have been avowed to Lokesvara only towards the end of the reign of Jayavarman VII, at the time when the pools were arranged for healing ablution or purification.
Whatever the reason, the ornamentation of the initial prasat - and notably of its pilasters and frontons - places it in that part of the 12th century subsequent to Angkor Wat, while the unity of style and conception of the monument confines it to a limited period.
The four chapels are set into the steps of the central pool just to the base of their frontons, and are all similar. Each is open to the secondary pool, with the line of the opening arch following the full tympanum of the gable end wall. Composed of a continuous nave whose oval formed corbelled vault is decorated internally with lotus coffers and with, at the back, a mid height platform serving as a base for a mascaron gargoyle and a plinth for an idol, each has the external appearance of a groin-vaulted central core, square in plan and surmounted by a pinnacle, which is extended, on its main axis, by two gable ended avant-corps - the whole then flanked laterally on each side by three similar but less dominant projections. The decor is remarkably fine, and the scenes with figures are without exception consecrated to Lokesvara.
Central pond:
the main shrine of this temple was designed in the middle of the central pond. It has a form of a lotus bud and its base is surrounded by two big Naga sculptures. This shrine has a real door to the east and three blind doors on other sides.there’re figures of Buddha Avalokitesvara on its wall. The head of Buddha’s figure to the north door was stolen in 1982. Each corner of the central shrine originally had three headed elephant statue with lion statue riding on top which were made of bronze. A three headed elephant statue symbolized Indra who is a king of heaven, and the lion statue symbolized Kubera, the god of wealth. In the 14th century, Siamese conquered Angkor city. They took those bronze statues from this temple to Aryuthaya city in Thailand. In the 15th century, the Burmese conquered Aryuthaya, and they took those bronze statues to Mandalay city. Today those statues are still in the museum of Myanmar.
Horse statue:
in the front of the central shrine, there’s a horse statue, in an action of taking off, carrying a group of people. This horse called Balaha. Balaha was a reincarnation of Budhisatva Avalokitesvara. this statues shows one scene of a legend, where Buddha transformed as a flying white horse with five heads to rescue his devotees from a sinking ship caused by a female demon who wanted to eat them.
Symbolic:
the central pond of Neak Pean symbolizes Anavatapata Lake. The real location of this lake was believed as the top of Himalaya Mountain. Anvatapata Lake contained spring water and it was protected by Naga and Nagi. According to the legend, Anvatapata Lake was a place where all gods from Mt-Meru and heavens came to take a bath after they had finished their yearly duties.
Four other ponds: there’s a sandstone structure at the edge of every small ponds. There’s a head of man, lion, horse, and elephant in those structure symbolizing the four elements.
Drainage and Symbolic:
there’s a drainage in each structure symbolizing the four sacred rivers originated from Mt.Himalaya which provided Holy River for Hindu followers. Those Rivers are Ganga River, Brahmaputra River, Jumana River and Induse River. Today those rivers locate in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Before the cleaning ceremony began, the people had to ask the astrologer what element they had, before they cleaned sin and sickness. Then they invited the monks who were holy men to take a small boat to the central shrine to pray to a golden Buddha statue to take holy water. After that, the monk poured holy water into the drainage to run through to head statue to clean a sinner who was sitting under the spout in there. The people who had water element, had to go to this north structure to clean sin by holy water from the elephant mouth. In here, the sinner had to sit on a lotus pedestal and faced out to the north. The east structure had a human head for the people who had earth element. The south structure had a lion head for the people who had fire element. The west structure had a horse head for the people who had wind element.
Until it was damaged by a storm in 1935, the central sanctuary of Neak Pean was crowned by an enormous Ficus, the sacred tree. In an extraordinary arrangement, its overhanging branches gave a haunting charm to the composition of the monument. Having become its living skeleton, it had formed a rigid foundation with the sinews of its roots framing the sculpted panels and overshadowing the water - but in return, however, managing to crumble much of the superstructure and dislodge that which remained.
In its renovated form Neak Pean is quite different, and although the part played by nature may no longer prevail, the work of man wins in clarity. Situated in a delightful setting and reflected sometimes during October or November in the water of its basins - the filling of which relies on the flow from the neighbouring river - this temple is like no other. It is undoubtedly one of the "delights" of Khmer art, bringing to mind, with the processional way lined with bornes at Prah Khan on which it depends, ideas of "Le Notre", with his decorative compositions of landscape and pools.
No Comment to " Neak Pean Temple "