Saturday, August 6, 2016

Ta Prohm.

Ta  Prohm,  a  Bayon style temple, is believed to be built in the late 12th andearly 13th centuries. It was founded by King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist   monastery   and   university.   Unlike   most  Angkorian  temples, Ta  Prohm  encroached  by  trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle hasbecome one of Angkor’s most popular temples with visitors.

Rajavihara (”royal temple”), as it was originally known, was one of the first temples  founded  pursuant to a massive program of construction and public works  after  the King’s ascension to the throne in 1811 A.D.. It was built in honor of his family. The temple’s main image, representing Prajnaparamita, the  personification  of  wisdom,  was  modeled  on  the  king’s mother.
The northern and southern satellite temples in the third enclosure were dedicated to  the  king’s  guru  and  his  elder brother respectively. As such, Ta Prohm formed  a  complementary pair with the temple of Preah Khan, dedicated in 1191 A.D.,  the main image representing Avelokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion modeled on the king’s father.

The  site  was  home  to  more than 12,500 people (including 18 high priests and  615  dancers),  with  an  additional  80,000  people  in  the  surrounding villages working to provide services and supplies.







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