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The Ancestor Brahma (Jungle
Temple )
 Ta
Prohm's state of ruin is a
state of beauty, which is
investigated with delight
and left with regret.
Location: Ta Prohm is
locating southwest of the
East Mebon and east of
Angkor Thom. Its outer
enclosure is near the corner
of Banteay Kdei.
Access: Enter the monument
from the west and leave from
the east entrance.
Tip: Ta Prohm is especially
serene and beautiful in the
early morning. A torch and a
compass are useful for
visiting this temple at all
times. It was built about
mid-12th century to early
13th century (1186) by the
King Jayavarman VII,
dedicated to the mother of
the king (Buddhist) replica
to Bayon style of art.
Background
Ta Prohm is the undisputed
capital of the kingdom of
the Trees'. It has been left
untouched by archaeologists
except for the clearing of a
path for visitors and
structural strengthening to
stave of further
deterioration. Because of
its natural state, it is
possible to experience at
this temple the wonder of
the early explorers when
they came upon these
monuments in the middle of
the nineteenth century.
Shrouded in dense jungle the
temple of Ta Prohm is
ethereal in aspect and
conjures up a romantic aura.
Fig, banyan and kapok trees
spread their gigantic roots
over stones, probing walls
and terraces apart, as their
branches and leaves
intertwine to form a roof
over the structures. Trunks
of trees twist amongst stone
pillars. The strange,
haunted charm of the place
entwines itself about you as
you go, as inescapably as
the roots have wound
themselves about the walls
and towers', wrote a visitor
40 years ago.
A Sanskrit inscription on
stone, still in place, give
details of the temple. Ta
Prohm 3,140 villages. It
took 79,365 people to
maintain the temple
including 18 great priests,
2,740 officials, 2,202
assistants and 615 dancers.
Among the property belonging
to the temple was a set of
golden dishes weighing more
than 500 kilograms, 35
diamonds, 40,620 pearls,
4,540 precious stones, 876
veils from China, 512 silk
beds and 523 parasols. Even
considering that these
numbers were probably
exaggerated to glorify the
king, Ta Prohm must have
been an important and
impressive monument.
Layout
Ta Prohm is among the
largest of the monuments in
the Angkor complex, the in
scrimption gives an idea of
the size of the temple. The
complex included 260 statues
of gods, 39 towers with
pinnacles and 566 groups of
residences. Ta Prohm
comprises a series of long
low buildings standing on
one level, which are
enclosed by rectangular
laterite wall (600 by 1,000
meters, 1,959 by 3,281
feet). Only traces of the
wall are still visible. The
center of the monument is
reached by a series of
towers connected with
passages. This arrangement
forms a ' sort of sacred way
into the heart of the
monument’; three-square
galleries enclose the area.
Tip: Some areas of the
temple are impassable and
others are accessible only
by narrow dark passages. It
is recommended to follow the
plan with a route and
landmarks indicted or to
stay with a guide to avoid
getting lost.
The boundaries of the
exterior wall are
recognizable on the west by
a stone entry tower in the
shape of a cross, with an
upper portion in the form of
four faces, one looking
towards each of the cardinal
points (not shown on the
plan). The approach to the
west entrance of the temple
is a path through the
forest. After about 350
meters (1,148 feet) there is
a stone terrace in the shape
of a cross. Remains of
lions, serpent balustrades
and mythical creatures lie
scattered in the area. Walk
across the terrace to the
vestibule of the enclosing
wall. The view from this
point is spectacular.
Every here around you, you
see nature n this dual role
of destroyer and consoler;
strangling on the one hand,
and healing on the other; no
sooner splitting the carved
stones asunder than she
dresses their wounds with
cool, velvety mosses, and
binds them with her most
delicate tendrils; a
conflict of moods so
contradictory and feminine
as to prove once more if
proof were needed how well "
Dame "Nature merits her
feminine title.
The next causeway with
serpent balustrades on each
side leads to an entry tower
(1) in the first enclosure
around the temple. Inside,
on the right, niches along
the inner wall contain
images of the Buddha. Return
to the center of the
vestibule, turn right and
walk through the courtyard
to the annex building at the
right (2). Continue walking
straight through the series
of rooms and passages to a
tower (3). The relief on the
horizontal beam is a fine
representation of a scene
from 'The Great Departure '
when the future. Buddha
decides to leave his
father's palace to live the
life of a monk, the gods
hold the hoofs of his horse
so those sleeping in the
palace are not awakened.
Return to the courtyard and
pass through an opening as
opening (4) in the wall of
the second enclosure (at the
south end). The roots of a
tree grip the double row of
pillars in this gallery.
Walk to the center of the
complex, turn right and
enter the entry tower (5) of
the third enclosing gallery.
The inner walls are
decorated with friezes of
pendants, scrolls and
figures in niches. Turn
right again and walk into
the central courtyard (6) of
the temple.
Central Sanctuary
Follow the plan and walk
through the Central
Sanctuary, recognizable by
its undecorated interior.
The stone has hammered,
presumably to apply a
coating probably of paint or
gilt. Evenly spaced ' holes
in the wall from floor to
ceiling suggest a covering
of wood, stucco or metal.
Walk across the central
courtyard towards the left
(northeast) and through the
door (7) of a gallery that
is framed by the roots of a
tree. Turn left and walk
through a dark passageway
(8) and a courtyard (9).
Enter the aisle with
pillars, turn right, walk
straight between twin towers
and to the right into a very
narrow passage which houses
the inscription (10) of the
temple. Return by the same
passage, turn right and
continue straight, passing
through a vestibule (11).
The false doors on the north
and south sides of the large
rectangular enclosure with
high walls are finely
decorated. There are four
small courts with galleries
and pillars (12). Ritual
dances may have been
performed in this area.
Walk across the courtyard
and into the entry tower of
the enclosing wall, at the
east entrance (13). It is in
the shape of a cross with
pillars on the interior,
four wings and two passages
on the side. The walls of
these passages are decorated
with relief. To the left
there is a hall with pillars
placed close together (14).
They probably provided the
base for a structure built
of wood. Beyond are small
rectangular cells (15),
which surround the exterior
of Ta Prohm.
One leaves Ta Prohm by a
path (400 meters, 1,32 feet
long) leading to the
exterior enclosure where
section of the wall are
visible.
So the temple is held in a
stranglehold of trees. Stone
and wood clasp each other in
grim hostility; yet all is
silent and still, without
any visible movement to
indicate their struggle as
if they were wrestlers
suddenly petrified, struck
motionless in the middle of
a fight, the rounds in this
battle were not measured by
minutes, but by centuries.
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