Prasat Sikhoraphum: a mini Angkor wat in Surin

I like the architecture from the Khmer period, say everything in between, say, the 9^e and the 14^e century in Thailand. And luckily for me, especially where I live in Isaan, quite a bit of it has been preserved.

Temple complexes such as Phimai and Phanom Rung are - rightly so - visited by masses of tourists, but dozens of other sites are hardly known to the general public and I can only regret that because there are a few real gems among them. Today I would like to take a moment to reflect on one of these hidden gems, namely Prasat Sikhoraphum in the district of the same name in the province Surin. This Hindu temple dating from the middle of the 12^e century, is unique in Thailand due to its floor plan. It is the only extant example of a layout in the form of a so-called quincunx in the country: five Prangs, brick towers that stand on a common base, the central tower of which is taller than the four corner towers. Does this sound familiar? Indeed, Prasat Sikhoraphum is built on the same ground plan as the world-famous Cambodian Angkor Wat, albeit on a much smaller scale than Angkor.

The format of this Temple is not the only resemblance to Angkor Wat. Many of the fortunately well-preserved decorative elements and sculpture appear to have been inspired by the Big Brother across the border. The pillars at the front are decorated with apsaras holding lotus flowers. They look like two drops of water on the apsaras (angelic dancers) in Angkor. The same also applies to the one armed with a large club dvarapala (doorkeepers) that can still be found in many places in Cambodia.

The two apsaras in this temple are said to be the only ones left in situ can still find in Thailand… Via the reconstructed processional road one reaches one of the two low steps, one in the east and one in the west, that provide access to Prasat Sikhoraphum. The temple is surrounded on three sides by a moat. The building materials for this temple were mainly brick and brown-red, highly ferrous sandstone, which creates a beautiful color effect at sunset. The raised, terraced base consists of laterite. The builder of this complex was Suryavarman II who ruled the Khmer Empire for more than thirty years. Although the test of time has not been kind to the stucco and other decorative elements, there is still plenty to discover on this site. Very beautiful, for example, is the capstone with the dancing Shiva Nataraja above the eastern entrance to the central sanctuary. The central Prang also contains bas-reliefs depicting Brahma, Ganesha, Vishnu and Uma. The name Sikhoraphum is derived from Sanskrit, where 'shikhara' stands for a tower shrine.

Although the sources are not unequivocal, it may have been somewhere in the 16^e century that the temple, which had fallen into disrepair, was partially renovated and used as a Buddhist shrine. According to a local guide, the number farang that Prasat visits Sikhoraphum can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Far away from the tourist crowd, a visit to this small but nice complex is therefore a must for all those who love serenity and tranquility. But also those who don't like this are served at their beck and call, because every year in the third week of November there is a sound and light show at this location...