Located on the site of Wat Kralanh, a contemporary monastery whose pagoda is built around the remnants of the ancient temple site. Formerly a group of three brick temples, one small part of a tower wall can be seen standing at the rear of the pagodas platform, which is interestingly formed of laterite.
From Lunet de Lajonquière’s site report published in 1911 (see below) and a report in the BEFEO 1935 (Prasat Thnon of Vat Kralan), indicate that there was a little more standing at that time, from which, they state there was originally three towers opening to the east.
Around the remaining section of the tower wall are remnants including sandstone naga accents, bollard, ornate sandstone base molding, window columns, a decorated door column, and tower crown. The most interesting piece is perhaps the beautiful lintel depicting Krishna above Kala topped by a row of ascetics in prayer, and at the edges of each side, a standing makara looking upward and outward. Two other fragments of lintels can also be seen but difficult to recognize the idols.
Unfortunately the pagoda was locked at the time of last visit, all I could manage was a sneaky picture through the open window :), its reported that were more lintels embedded into the balan.
Lunet de Lajonquière’s site report, published 1911 (Inventaire descriptif des monuments du Cambodge. Tome 3)
Wat Kralanh. -This pagoda is located about 1,500 meters S. of the village of Kuk Chan. The mound occupied by the old temple is currently invaded by the developments of the bonzerie (monastery). There remain the ruins of a group of three brick sanctuaries, regularly arranged and oriented, that of the center being much higher than shrines on either side. These buildings, already very ruined, are currently being demolished by the monks, who extract the bricks still whole.
The decorative lintels from their doors are built into the massive altar of the vihara, built east of the group. That of the central sanctuary, indicated by its superior proportions, is of type III, of mediocre workmanship, with a central motif. the group of Civa and Parvati, both seated on Nandin. The other two, of the same type and of an even more clumsy construction. have as a central motif, one the scene of Visnu on the dragon Ananta, the other a dancing god. A fourth lintel, coming from the constructions of the enclosure, is still of the same type and of the same style with a very reduced reproduction of the churning of the sea.
A rectangular enclosure formed by a laterite wall developed around the temple. It was interrupted on the east and west faces by brick gopuras, and on the south face by a gallery also of bricks, which are, like the enclosing wall, almost completely reduced. In the east lies a grand basin, dry.
Wat Kralanh inscription. We can still read a few words on a flat stele which serves as a step at the entrance to the vihara and which seems to have been inserted.
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Map
Site Info
- Site Name: Krâlanh (V.) Khmer Name: វត្តក្រឡាញ់
- Reference ID: HA11801 | Posted: January 20, 2021 | Last Update: February 7th, 2023
- Other Names: Prasat Thnong, Thnong Temple, Wat Kralanh, Wat Krolanh
- Tags/Group: c, pa, sema, Temples, Wat
- Location: Siem Reap Province > Angkor Chum District > Ta Saom Commune > Phnov / Mkak Village
- MoCFA ID: 518
- IK Number: 635
