"The Mealea pool"
Late 11th First half of 12 th Century
Cult: Brahmanic
Research by J. De Mecqueneù in 1913
For
those who want to see more and play Indiana Jones, Beng Mealea
is the perfect spot.
This trip needs a little bit more than half a day.
The tour includes a private car with driver at a total of $50 for 1, 2, 3 or 4 passengers, $60 between 5 to 6 passengers.
If you request a guide, it will be 25 dollars more and be aware that
he is considered as a passenger.
Beng Mealea temple pass costs 10 USD per person.
You can combinate this tour with other visits, feel free to ask us.
Pictures
of Beng Mealea
A trip to Beng Mealea, which in itself demands
an entire day, can be combined with a hunting party, since the
region is rich in both small and large game and wild animals;
- tigers, panthers and elephants, herds of oxen and wild buffalo
inhabit the forest as far as Prah Khan of Kompong Svay in the
east.
The track to the Beng Mealea turns right from the Grand Circuit
between Prasat Kravan and Srah Srang at 10 kilometres from Siem
Reap, a little after the 12 kilometre marker stone. Following
an ancient Khmer road for 28 kilometres (a bridge with nagas is
still visible at the 16th kilometre) it joins the road from Damdek
to then head north, then east, and then pass through the village
of Tuk Lich to end near the south-west corner of the monument.
The journey, which is quite difficult and only possible in the
dry season, is 40 kilometres and requires about 2 hours by car.
Jungle enthusiasts can then continue on to Kompong Thom by passing
the temple of Prah Khan (of Kompong Svay) on condition that they
make camp at this last location.(46)
We recommend that the visitor to Beng Mealea follows the dotted
line indicated on the schematic plan provided, which should give
a general idea of the most interesting parts without proving too
difficult. Entry is gained by the western causeway that starts
from the Koh Ker track, where one will see some remains of naga-balustrades
on moulded blocks. Their terminal motifs have a purity of line
rarely achieved during the various periods of Khmer art, - their
high crest is trimmed with a stylised and extremely delicate decoration
that is like embroidery.
Beng Mealea is one of the largest ensembles in the Angkor region,
covering an area - within its 45m.00 wide moats that cover a distance
of 4,200m all around - of 108 hectares, and comparable therefore
to the most imposing temples of the capital. Clearly of architectural
character, it gains above all by the clarity of its plan, the
harmonious equilibrium of its composition and the sense of the
monumental, given effect by the large clear surfaces - the decoration
is simple and animated only in certain areas, and so shown to
particular advantage. Platforms, bases and capitals, - cornices
underlined with a single frieze, - the tympanums of the frontons
and devatas are the main elements of an ornamentation that is
generally discreet while maintaining excellent quality.
Although undated like many temples of this period, Beng Mealea
is, by virtue of its style, later than the Baphuon and very close
to Angkor Wat. It is in totality the prototype on a single level
of a building formula which, combined with the principle of terracing,
must have reached its peak in this latter monument. Unfortunately,
its state of ruin is such that it is difficult to attribute the
natural destruction to any single cause - although carefully constructed,
in places it presents the appearance of a veritable chaos of fallen
debris beside areas that remain absolutely intact - while everywhere
vegetation reigns as master.
The external enclosure corresponding to the moats must have been
formed in a timber palisade. Four axial pathways lead from the
dikes - which are ornate with colonnettes as they cross the moat
- to the cruciform terrace, also with colonnettes, preceding the
gopuras of the third enclosure. These long avenues are paved and
have lateral steps and naga-balustrades.
On the east side, like at Prah Khan of Angkor, the pavement is
first framed by pools - one of which, lined with sandstone, always
has water - and then extends beyond the external enclosure to
a vast depression that was perhaps an ancient "baray".
This was dominated by a large laterite terrace with three perrons
to the east and west, preceded by decorative bornes and surmounted
by a sandstone platform with small internal courtyards which,
as at Srah Srang, must have carried a light-weight pavilion.
The temple as such is composed of three enclosing galleries with
four gopuras. The third from the centre, of 152m.00 north-south
by 181m.00 east-west, has a large tower set on each axis and each
corner - that of the eastern gopura being flanked by two smaller
others corresponding to secondary entrances. The following enclosures
are concentric and resolutely offset to the west to allow the
positioning on the east side of two "libraries" and
a large crossing cloister, as at Angkor Wat. They have no towers.
The first enclosure, finally, forms in itself a single complete
temple in a similar arrangement to Banteay Samre and Chau Say
Tevoda, which are practically contemporaneous; - four gopuras
and corner pavilions, two "libraries", and a central
sanctuary (that has completely collapsed) are preceded to the
east by a long room.
To the south, between the 2nd and 3rd enclosures and on either
side of a connecting north-south gallery that is axial on the
central sanctuary, two annexe ensembles have been built; - to
the east, a crossing cloister with four small courtyards and surrounding
galleries stands partially intact with the vaults and slender
side-aisles in elegant proportion; - to the west is a similar
arrangement but which is less developed with a central hall and
two small courtyards. Monsieur de Mecquenem saw here a place reserved
for sacred dance or for "oration with or without the accompaniment
of music" and in the other, where he found traces of guttering
and remains of pottery, halls for ritual ablutions.
At Beng Mealea the galleries appear for the first time with the
vaults supported on one side by a back wall and on the other by
rows of pillars - a particularly favourable arrangement for the
execution of bas-reliefs in the best conditions of lighting and
presentation - as at Angkor Wat and the Bayon. Here, however,
the walls have not been sculpted, and the iconography is seen
again in various scenes, for the most part Vishnouïte, on
the frontons or at the base of the pilasters, in a manner consistent
with the 12th century. Recognisable in particular are; - the "Birth
of Brahma" on a lotus emanating from the navel of Vishnou
reclining on the serpent; - the "Churning of the Ocean",
- "Krishna supporting the mount Govardhana" to shelter
the shepherds and their flocks from the storms, - the "Wrestling
of Krishna with the asura Bana", where the god is mounted
on Garuda and his adversary is in a chariot drawn by lions, -
some episodes from the Ramayana (the battle of Lanka), including
the "Ordeal of Sita" which is well preserved and set
on three tiers - and "Shiva dancing" between Brahma
and Ganesha on his right and Vishnou on his left. The usual divinities
are represented on the lintels; - Indra on a three headed elephant,
- Vishnou on Garuda, - Lakshmi between two elephants whose raised
trunks hold lotuses rather than ewers, - and Shiva dancing between
Ganesha and Parvati.
Again, the devatas wear long plaited skirts with the material
falling to the front, held at the waist by a circle of pendants,
and hair coiffed with a single disc and a single point that herald
the more complex styles of Angkor Wat.
We would point out, finally, that to return to the east causeway
and the large terrace at its far end, one can skirt the third
enclosure of the monument by a path to its south.
Pictures
of Beng Mealea
