Let’s look at one of the smaller brick temples at the complex of Koh Ker

 

Let’s look at one of the smaller brick temples at the complex of Koh Ker, Prasat Op On, which is also known as Prasat Chamreh, and which sits between the larger temples of Banteay Pir Choan and Prasat Chrap on the eastern route around the site of the tenth century royal capital of King Jayavarman IV. Scholars suggest the temple’s construction may date to a few years after the king’s reign ended in 941AD, though the style of the structure is almost identical to Prasat Kraham, which I featured a few days ago. Standing on a laterite base, it opens to the east with one doorway framed in sandstone and three false doorways in brick. It’s retained much more of its upper levels of brickwork, though inside the square cella, the large pedestal and any statues have long since been removed. The most appealing feature of Prasat Op On is a damaged though still defiantly in-situ, sandstone lintel, sitting on two decorative colonettes either side of the doorway entrance. The lintel is actually two separate blocks. The overhanging upper part is decorated with a frieze of 19 crowned characters, each in a pose of praying with hands clasped together, under arches. The much larger lower section is centered by a standing Indra and his three-headed elephant mount Airavata, under an arch, while six more praying figures emerge from the deeply-carved foliage decoration on either side of the god, who is often found above eastern-facing entrances. The ends of the lintel are badly damaged while a frieze of lotus buds complete the lower section. My last trip to Koh Ker was in March, when I managed to visit 22 temples in just over half a day, so expect me to highlight a few more temples in the near future.