Lo Lei Temple

Location: Is at “Rolous Group” north of Preah Ko and Bakong temple.
Access: Enter and leave the temple from the stairs at the east side.
Date: End of 9th century (893).
King: Yasovarman 1st “Paramasivaloka” (889-910?).
Religion: Hinduism “dedicated to Siva” and the memory of the king father.
Art-style: Transitional between Preah Ko and Bakong temple.
-Posthumous name: Paramasivaloka.
1, background
The temple originally stood on an artificial island in the middle of a Baray called Indratataka (800 meters wide by 3000 or 3800 meters long) king Indravarman 1st dug it five days after the day of Indravrman 1st accession to the throne but today it dries up. According to the inscription found at the temple the water of this Baray was for use at the capita “Hari-Hara-Laya” and for irrigation the plain in this area.
2, Layout
It stood on a laterite-base with 2 levels with low laterite-walls and had a stairway on each of the 4 side. The base is 4 meters high with 4 stairways each one of which is 2.4 meters wide.The first level is (85 meters wide by 100 meters long) and 1.5 meters high. The second level is 80 meters wide by 90 meters long) and 2.50 meters high. Well! At the right center of the laterite-base one can see 4 large brick towers situated on a low brick platform these towers are divided into 2 rows the front row and the back row it is possible the original plan had 6 towers which probably shared on a common base like that at Preah Ko temple but other 2 are missing. Today the northeast tower is the best preserved. The 2 towers in the front row are square (4.50 meters for each side) and decorated with male guardians holding the tridents and the other s 2 in the back row are square too but smaller (4 meters for each side) and decorated with female guardians holding fly-whisks or fly swatters. They are sculpted in sandstone with a brick casing. All the towers opened to the east and others three sides are false-doors that decorated with multiple figures. The inscriptions are on the doors of all 4 brick towers. We noticed that the lintel of the Northeast tower depicted Indra is riding on an elephant with figures and Makaras vomited serpents. The workmanship on the lintels is skilled and the composition-balance. At the main center we can see across-shaped sandstone channel for draining off the rainwater. (Writing by kealy e-mail: kealy.driver@gmail.com)