Chiang Khong – Lower Esarn Meander July 2024. Part 17 Surin - Si Khoraphum- Lomsak

DavidFL

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Three Ancient Khmer Prasats East of Surin.

Continued from Part 16

The magnificent success of the previous day's Surin Elephant Alms Giving ceremony certainly left me on a high.
I was overjoyed to witness this unique event.

A tropical storm was inbound from the East & forecast to hit Ubon in a day or two.
I don't fancy getting caught in a few days of heavy rain, and while I don't mind riding in the rain, taking photos and getting my phone or camera wet is not an option for me. Let's see how it goes leading East towards Ubon.

Three sets of ruins were earmarked for the day,
Prasat Muang Thi
Prasat Chang Pi
Prasat Sikhoraphum

Prasat Muang Thi
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On R226, 23 km East of Surin, 400 metres North of the highway.

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Located in the compound of Wat Chom Suthawat, these crumbling ruins need some TLC and more support.

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In its present form, Prasat Muang Thi comprises three towers built in brick and mortar.

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These were originally part of a group of five towers arranged in a quincunx shape (like the number 5 on a dice) sitting upon a single brick base.
This arrangement is rarely seen in Thailand—the sole exception is Prasat Sikhoraphum, located nearby—but was very common in Khmer architecture, including major monuments such as Pre Rup, East Mebon, and Angkor Wat.

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According to the art historian Michael Freeman, the quincunx arrangement signifies Mount Meru and was generally reserved for state temples.
However, the towers at Muang Thi are too small to have been the centrepiece of state-sponsored temples, and there is no evidence of any other structures in the area (such as moats or enclosure walls) that would suggest the presence of a significant temple.
One possibility is that they were built by local leaders in the Khmer era or later, following the model of Prasat Sikhoraphum or other nearby temples that no longer exist.

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According to a signpost on site, the towers were altered sometime near the end of the Ayutthaya era or in the early Rattanakosin periods (corresponding to the late 18th-early 19th centuries), suggesting that all five towers were still standing.
The remaining towers are structurally unsound and are bolstered by steel bracing added by the Fine Arts Department, presumably as a stopgap measuring pending a more thorough rehabilitation.

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Prasat Muang Thi Location:

Prasat Muang Thi Info Source:

To be continued.
 

DavidFL

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Prasat Chang Pi

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28 km east of Surin, off R226, 4 km North off the highway.

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Prasat Chang Pi is one of 102 Arokayasala built by the Khmer King Jayavarman II (r. 1181-1218)

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Arokayasalas served as hospitals and usually followed a standard plan.

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The plan comprises a small tower surrounded by a low wall, a 'library' in the southeast corner and an east-facing gopura (gateway).

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Slightly to the northeast is the remnants of a ritual pool.

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Prasat Chang Pi has two interesting festivals.
1. Every 5th March, the sun’s rays pass directly through all the doorways at 5 pm.
2. Arogayasala Prasat Chang Pi Worship. On the 1st day of the 6th waxing moon, there are spirit ceremonies for the guardian spirits of Prasat Chang Pi, for the Chang Pi villagers believe powerful spirits are inhabiting the sanctuary. Through the ceremonies, they seek to remove bad luck from the last year and seek good luck for a prolonged life, good health, happiness, and prosperity.

Prasat Chang Pi Info Sources:



Prasat Chang Pi Location:
 
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DavidFL

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Prasat Sikhoraphum

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39 km from Surin
19 km Prasat Muang Thi
15 kms from Prasat Chang Pi.

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Prasat Sikhoraphum is an unusual monument. It is the only traditional temple in Thailand with five towers arranged in a quincunx configuration, like East Mebon in Angkor, Cambodia.

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The arrangement is all the more strange given that this configuration is intended to represent Mount Meru, a lofty distinction usually proscribed outside of state temples.

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Given the small size of Sikhoraphum (its base measures just 25 meters to the side) and its location distant from traditional centres of power, it was almost certainly not used as a state temple.

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The temple was built in the 12th century in the Angkor Wat style, complete with apsaras--another unusual feature.

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The present form of the temple is different from its original configuration, as the towers' superstructures were remodelled extensively by the Lao in the 15th and 16th centuries.

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Although the remodelling was generally high quality, the Lao did not understand the significance of certain architectural features.

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Only one lintel remains, but it's a beauty. Featuring a dancing, 10-armed Shiva, it's in excellent condition and is one of the most beautiful pieces of Khmer art ever carved. Below it are Thailand's only two Khmer apsara (celestial dancers) carvings.

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For example, the antefixes on the towers representing the guardians of the four directions were replaced haphazardly, and the heavily redented character of the brickwork is not in keeping with Khmer precedents.

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The moat around the temple is relatively intact and still holds water.

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Sikhoraphum July 1992.
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Not as large or impressive as some of the better-known Khmer temples in Thailand, Prasat Sikhoraphum is a stunner and well worth a visit. Few foreign tourists visit this site despite effortless access, making it more enjoyable.

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Prasat Sikhoraphum Info sources:





Prasat Sikhoraphum Location:
 
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