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Prasat Sdok Kok Thom is under
restoration until 2005-06. The temple is located some 20 km south of Ta Phaya in
Sra Kaew province, Eastern Thailand, close to the Cambodian border. See area-map
at the bottom of this page. The subtitle 'the gate to eastern Thailand' is given
by the author as the temple must be located close the ancient Khmer east-west
route, which several independent parties presently are searching for.
Date:
Prasat Sdok Kok Thom was according to stone inscription K.
235, stanza 123, consecrated the 8th of February 1053, when ''the
sun and the other planets were (respectively in) Aquarius, Virgin, Scales,
Aquarius, Aquarius, Pisces, the horoscope in Sagittarius. Bhava was
erected in the year marked by the (9) banner, (7) the mountains and (4) the
Vedas.'' (my translation of George Coedès). The numbers stand for Saka Era, year
974.
The description fits with astronomical calculations and
an interim inspection of the structure indicates several other embedded
astronomical aspects. These will will in focus in 2005 and details be published
here on a separate web-page after summer solstice 2005.
A complete translation of the
inscription can be found at a web-page from Cornell University:
http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/hist190/Cambodia.html. Note the
translation of stanza 123 differs: ''In
the year marked by oriÞces [9], mountains [7], and Vedas [4], [in the month]
when the Sun and the other planets were in Aquarius, Virgo, Libra, Aquarius,
Aquarius, Pisces, Aquarius, Aquarius, and Pisces; [on the day] of the Virgin,
[on the date] signified by Pisces and female breasts, the [digits] of the moon
being marked by the seas and female breasts, [and] the moment being marked by
Sagittarius, Bhava who has the aspect of half-man and half-woman was established
here.''
The name.
A local expert in ancient Khmer,
Achan Bunluang, explains that Sdok can be translated from ancient Khmer
to mean ’village’, ’district’ or ’country’; or ’virginal forest’; or ’swamp’ /
’reservoir’. The word kuk he emphasises means ’heron’ – not ’reed’. And
thom means ’big’.
Aymonier writes that stuk is often met in Khmer
inscriptions and is pronounced sdok (actually sa-dok / AM) and has
a Sanskrit equivalent hrada, meaning 'deep lake, great water surface'.
Kok ''designates, among various other things, a reed that is employed for the
production of everyday mats''.
Inspired by the presence of the small white herons at
the eastern baray the author translates Prasat Sdok Kok Thom as ''the temple
by the large reservoir with herons''.
more text will come later
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| Above: Central
sanctuary from east |
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Above: Central
sanctuary from south |
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| Above: Central
sanctuary and library from S-E |
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Above: S-E
Library from N-W |
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| Above: Southern
inner wall from east |
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Above: N-E
library from S-W |
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| Above: From the
central sanctuary |
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Above: Reclining
Vishnu |
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| Above: Frontal |
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Above: Various
artefacts |
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| Above: Pedestal
for ritual use |
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Above: Detail
from pedestal |
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| Above: Plan of
Prasat Sdok Kok Thom |
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Above: Note the
compass. Magnetic deviation? |
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Above:
Prasat Sdok Thom before restauration
Right: Eastern gopura |
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Above: Area map
The ancient road from Angkor:
Aimonier mentions ''an ancient road formerly built by
the Cambodians'', which runs ''more or less straight'' east-west ''entering
the province in the vicinity of Soay Chek, an important village of
Battambang'' with ''numerous basins for stopovers on it's route, along which
one meets with several ruins'' (p. 29). The road passes ''400 m'' north of
Prasat Sdok Kok Thom, in late 19th century ''still passable for the greater
part by carriages'' and ''directly link Soay Chek with Vattana''.
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