Last month my brother Tim and I managed to cram a visit to 20+ temples at the Koh Ker complex

Last month my brother Tim and I managed to cram a visit to 20+ temples at the Koh Ker complex, in just over half a day. A world away from my first-ever visit in late 2001 when landmines made it impossible to visit pretty much anything other than the state temple, Prasat Thom. For my 2003 and 2005 visits many more temples had been demined and were on the visit list, so last month gave me the opportunity to escort Tim around as many as we could fit in. For guidance, the general layout of the Koh Ker complex of temples surrounds a large body of water called the Rahal, which is a man-made baray or reservoir with the state temple of Prasat Thom lying to the northwest. Directly opposite, and northeast of the Rahal, were five sanctuaries each housing a substantial Linga. These face the baray and these small temples were built without a roof to allow rainwater to be sanctified by flowing over the Linga and into the ceremonial body of water. All were built in the first half of the tenth century when Jayavarman IV reigned at Koh Ker, then known as Lingapura (‘city of the Linga’). So, we began at Prasat Linga 1, which is also known as Prasat Thnoeng, Prasat Balang and Monument I. The square tower, made of large sandstone blocks, faces to the west and sits on a terrace platform. By design, it’s roofless and the inside of the cella is almost entirely consumed by the monolithic Linga and giant pedestal. The spout, still in place, is finely sculpted and penetrates the north wall. Originally the pedestal was decorated with eight standing lions sculpted on its sides, though most are now missing or badly eroded. As for the Linga, this is usually composed of three parts: the square lower section, usually planted in the earth, is associated with Brahma (the Creator); the octagonal mid-section, embedded within the pedestal or plinth known as the yoni, is associated with Vishnu (the Preserver); and the domed, cylindrical upper section is associated with Shiva (the Destroyer). However, I’m unsure whether the pedestal and Linga were originally carved out of natural bedrock and only the upper section of the Linga, with slight damage, is visible. Free-standing sculptures would not have been added, as the focus of the shrine was purely for water to be made sacred by its contact with the Linga and to flow out of the false north door and eventually into the Rahal. Three almost identical Linga sanctuaries exist, with Linga a recurring major feature throughout the Koh Ker complex.