Beng Mealea Temple

Beng Mealea Temple

Beng Mealea Temple

Date:                                  Built in early twelfth century

Religion:                            Hinduism

King:                                  Soryavarman II (1112-1150)

Posthumous name:       Paramavishnuloka

A long drive to its remote location, at least one hour and a half from Siem Reap, and the fact that this temple is newly opened for visitors may be the reason that Beng Mealea temple is touched by very few tourists.

Beng Mealea looks more mysterious than Taprom because it has never been restored at all and this temple is largely overgrown by vegetation with many moody subterranean passageways to explore. Besides that, the trees growing from the broken towers and galleries, and vines entangle columns offer some different views from Taprom for photographer.

 

The plan of Beng Mealea closely mirrors Angkor Wat,but here it is rich of green jungle and the lichen-covered stones. Lintels and other building blocks lay around in a tumble and require visitors to climb up and down as they approach the completely collapsed central tower. This is how the early expeditions must have found the temples of Angkor.

Style: Beng Melea covers one square kilometer. Although Beng Melea was built with the same king to Angkor Wat, It preceded and may have served as ablueprint for Angkor Wat.

 

Although there’re some lintels and door way carvings, there isn’t any carving in it galleries. When the temple was active, the walls may have been plastered, painted, or had frescos.

In its time, Beng Melea was in the crossroads ofseveral major highways that ran to Angkor, Koh Ker, Preah Vihear (in northern Cambodia) and northern Vietnam.