Wat Baray

Monastery built on the site of an ancient temple. Several remnants are collected on the western side of the pagoda including an ornate pediment fragment, chaitya/bollard, a very decayed lintel and other pieces. The pediment fragment is the most artistically intersting, featuring a depiction of Brahma (sadly beheaded) flanked by two “angels”. The contemporary pagoda also has some wonderful character, aging gracefully with lovely murals inside. Two inscriptions were found here and recorded under K.140 and K.142.

Inscriptions

• K. 140 – doorjamb reused as a lintel – 2 lines of Sanskrit and 16 lines of Khmer – ISC, n° XIII, p. 75 ; IC VI, p. 14 – according to Coedes, offering a date of 676 AD noting the erection of Shiva statue and allocation of workers by the chief of the royal elephants.
• K. 141 – stele – Khmer text with a date of 1821 A.D
• K. 142 – stele – Khmer text with a date of 1851 A.D

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Living in Asia for over a decade and now residing in beautiful Siem Reap. Rodney Charles L'Huillier has spent over seven years in Cambodia and is the author of Ancient Cambodia (2024) and Essential Siem Reap (2017, 2019). Contact via [email protected] - more..