Bantay Srei

14-Aug-2000

Bantay Srei or The Temple of Woman is about 40km from the main Angkor complex and predates it by about 400 years. What makes it so special is the quality and style of the carvings - Balinese influenced (or perhaps it's Bali that's Khmer influenced...) for sure.

Vishnu atop 3 headed Elephant



Bantay Srei



Vishnu on an ox



Shiva



Tree growing out of a temple








Carvings



Inner Bantay Srei




Sculpture



A galah before he ate himself
Usually you only see this figure as a disembodied head because the legend goes that he was ordered to devour himself to sate his great appetite and so he did - stopping only when he reached his neck



Naga head



Still more carvings