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Sundial, calendar and Khmer temples

Astro-archaeology = archaeo-astronomy = Astroarchaeology = archaeoastronomy

Prasat Sdok Thom

13°50' 37'' N - 102°44' 14'' E

the gate to eastern Thailand

 
 
Above: Eastern facade   Above: Central sanctuary from S-E
     

      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
 
 
Above: Central sanctuary from east   Above: Central sanctuary from south
     
 
Above: Central sanctuary and library from S-E   Above: S-E Library from N-W
     
 
Above: Southern inner wall from east   Above: N-E library from S-W
     
 
Above: From the central sanctuary   Above: Reclining Vishnu
     
 
Above: Frontal   Above: Various artefacts
     
 
Above: Pedestal for ritual use   Above: Detail from pedestal
     
 
Above: Plan of Prasat Sdok Kok Thom   Above: Note the compass. Magnetic deviation?
     

Above: Prasat Sdok Thom before restauration

Right: Eastern gopura

 

 

 

 
     
   
  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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12 December 2004 © Asger Mollerup

macsida@thai-isan-lao.com

www.thai-isan-lao.com


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