Prasat Kuhak Nokor and Prasat Andet
Prasat Kuhak Nokor or Prasat Kuk Nokor
Kuhak Nokor temple: central building
Kuhak Nokor is a 11th century temple located in Kampong Thom province, about 96km from Phnom Penh. Visitors can be easily reach the temple from the nation road no.6, turn left through an entrance of a Buddhist pagoda ‘Wat Kuhak Nokor’.
Kuhak Nokor was built in the reign of King Suryavarman I (1002-1050). The temple is made of laterite and decorated with sandstone lintel, fronton, and pillars. The temple is surrounded by the rectangular 3 meters high wall in the length of 45 m and 35 m wide. The temple faces east and visitors can enter through the east gopura of 9 m high. At the west wall, there is another gopura, but it’s the false one. In front of the central tower, there are two ponds which is the structure of the Hindu temple. The highest tower of the central sanctuary is 15 m high and has only one opening porch to the east, no window on the walls.
However, the temple has only one library at the left, faces to the west. On the left wall there is another building (13 m long, 7 m wide) which the local called it ‘Kuk Sampov’, where ‘sampov’ means sailing boat. It was named so because the building has the shape similar to a sailing boat.
Kuhak Nokor hasn’t been decorated with many carving like other temples. We find only one carving of Indra on his three-head elephant on the lintel of the main tower. However, Kuhak Nokor is built in a good structure and well balancing.
Kuhak Nokor temple: East entrance gopura
Kuhak Nokor temple: west gopura (false entrance)
Kuhak Nokor temple: central building side view
Kuhak Nokor temple: library
Kuhak Nokor temple: lintel on the porch of central tower, Indra on his three-head elephant
Prasat Andet
Prasat Andet is another Hindu temple located about 27 km north west of Kampong Thom provincial. The date of construction of the temple date back to the 7th century in the reign of King Jayavarman I. The temple is constructed in rectangular shape of 7.5 m long and 5.5 m wide, under Prei Kmeng style with one single tower. It’s made of brick with some parts decorated by sandstone. There is only one opening porch to the east, and the other three walls are false doors. The temple was built as a worship place of Hinduism in the ancient time, which a Harihara statue was house inside. Currently the statue is kept in the National Museum in Phnom Penh.
Prasat Andet: located behind Wat Prasat Andet pagoda
The whole area around Prasat Andet are flooded every year during raining season, but the temple was built on a high artificial hill that it’s never been flooded. That’s why the temple got the name as Prasat Andet, means Floating Temple.
Currently Prasat Andet is hidden behind a Viheara of a modern Buddhist pagoda, in which it took the same name as the temple as ‘Wat Prasat Andet’.
Prasat Kuk Roka or Prasat Preah Theat Kampong Thom
Prasat Kuk Roka (Prasat Tret, Prasat Preah Theat) Front view
Prasat Kuk Roka also named as Prasat Preah Theat Roka or Prasat Preah Theat Kampong Thom. It’s a late 10th century temple built in the reign of King Suryavarman I, dedicated to Hinduism. The prasat is made of sandstone and laterite, measured 6 meters long by 5 meters wide and 8 meter high. The architecture of Prasat Kuk Roka is set to be Khleng Style with one entrance from the east, at the other three directions are three false doors. The shape of the prasat is inclined or leaning at the west, by this the prasat get a name called Prasat Tret (inclined temple). I’m not sure that it was built in this form or it was inclined caused by any incident in the later time.
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Prasat Phum Prasat – Kampong Thom
Prasat Phum Prasat, Kampong Thom province
Prasat Phum Prasat is one of the minor ruined temples in Kampong Thom province. It locates in Prasat village, Prasat sub-district, Santuk district, about 27km from Steung Sen Town (Kampong Thom provincial) and about 140km from Phnom Penh (traveling from Phnom Penh, visitors will reach Phum Prasat temple before the provincial). It seems that the real name of the temple is unknown. The current name ‘Phum Prasat’ means Prasat village, the temple is so called because of it locates in the Prasat village.
Prasat Phum Prasat or Phum Prasat Temple is a pre-Angkorian construction dates from the 8th century (about 706 AD). The temple is made of brick and sandstone as a worship sanctuary of Brahmanism, dedicated to Shiva. According to the brief description board of this temple also said that, it was built in Kampong Preah style and the builder was someone who named Maratan Metheavy.
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