Phnom Kulen

Video #1 - Riverbed with carved lingas, Siem Reap River, Phnom Kulen

Video #2 - Riverbed with carved lingas, Siem Reap River, Phnom Kulen

Reclining Buddha at Preah Ang Thom monastery

Monk at the Preah Ang Thom monastery

Truck delivering concrete cast sculptures.

Siem Reap River waterfalls

The incredible location of a Thousand Lingas carved right out of the riverbed

Detail of a linga

Linga and yoni symbols, within lotus borders, form an underwater pattern

PHNOM KULEN is a mountain range in Northern Cambodia and 1 1/2 hours by car from Siem Reap. I was attracted to this place, sacred to both Cambodian Buddhists and Hindus, after stumbling across an internet entry. Today the "Mountain of Lychees," as it is know in Khmer, is a National Park about 45 kilometres from Siem Reap. Entry to the site has been privatized, and the way in belongs to one of one Prime Minister Heng Sen's cronies. Having been on the access road today I can say that it is little more then a jeep track, in places, given the steep grades and deep ruts, The mini vans and Toyota Camry taxis managed to crawl up to the monastery in the thick jungle, at the end of the route. Here at Preah Ang Thom one walked through a gauntlet of souvenir stands before reaching the long flight of steps, lined with beggars, that led to the monastery above. Once on top one had to remove shoes and continue up steep steps beside a three story high boulder. It was crowned by a reclining Buddha, within a building, perched a top this mighty rock. The giant sculpture was built in the 16th century. The Buddha is carved right out of the sandstone rock and is some 8 metres long. As for the views over the jungle plateau, they were sublime.

The tour continued to a gorgeous waterfall, where I saw only saw Cambodians at the time of my visit, reveling in being in the pool below the cascade, clothes and all. Nearby were the ruins of the 9th century Prasat Krau Romeas temple.

In a sense this is the birthplace of the Khmer Empire. It was at Phnom Kulen that King Jayavarman II proclaimed himself a Devaraja (God King). With that he asserted Khmer independence in 804, freeing the new nation from vassalage with the Kingdom of Java, which may have been the name at the time for modern day Laos. He also initiated a linga fertility cult which was also a way to assert his new power. Evidence of this can be seen in the Siem Reap River above the waterfalls, where the riverbed is carved with amazing patterns of lingas and yonis.

The Phnom Kulen area is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List and was also the last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge which came to an end in 1979.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Kulen