Beng Tbong Temple

An ancient site, once a group of four brick temples, which was also the provenance of two inscriptions and other remnants. According to the inscription style noted by George Coedes, the site likely dated to around the 10-11th century. The lintel pictured in the historical images is a fascinating one, incorporating outward-facing Makara at either end, typical of sites belonging to earlier eras.

Historical Images

Via EFEO Fonds Cambodge

Historical Notes

Prasat Beng (South). This temple stood about 300 meters SE. from Prasat Beng (North).

It was a group of three sanctuaries, square, in brick: open to the E., without a front. They are arranged in a triangle, the base of the triangle being oriented N.-S. and the summit to the E., on a mound surrounded by a basin-ditch now transformed into rice fields.

Everything in these buildings that was made of bricks has recently been demolished; these materials have been removed and only the door frames with their ornamental fixtures remain.

The decorative lintel of the main sanctuary which is at the east summit is of type III, with foliage, with, as a central motif, a figurine of Indra seated on the elephant with a triple forebody. That of the north sanctuary in the second line is also of type III, with foliage: the central motif is formed by a figurine of a person seated facing forward on a throne. The third is buried under the rubble and we were unable to have it removed.

Inventaire descriptif des monuments du Cambodge, E. Lunet de Lajonquière, 1902

Prasat Ben South (199). – This monument, surrounded by a ditch-kassin, is preceded by a srah, to the east, like Pràsàt Ben Nord. It has the same composition: five brick sanctuaries, open to the east, two on the east row, three on the west row. To the east and in the axis of the group, there is a pile of bricks. Perhaps these are the traces of an aedicule which later served as a gopura.

While clearing the jambs, I found two new inscriptions: one on the North jamb of the entrance door to the South sanctuary (East row), the other on the North jamb of the entrance door to the North sanctuary (West row). The first inscription contains six damaged, almost illegible lines. I believe that this inscription was longer, but, currently, it is crumbled. The side of the North sanctuary seems to have two different inscriptions, placed one above the other. The top one, in large print, has 13 lines, the first of which is illegible. The second inscription has 4 lines in smaller characters.

Chronique. In: Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient. Tome 33, G. Trouve, 1933. pp. 1045-1146

Inscriptions

• K. 772 – 15 + 4 lines of Khmer – IC VII, p. 104
• K. 773 – Sanskrit – IC VII, p. 104

The Prasat Ben Sud, located about 300 m. south-east of Prasát Ben Nord, from which comes the inscription K. 167, was described by L. DE LAJONQUIERE who does not mention any inscription there. It was G. TROUVÉ who, following a visit to the monument in 1933, pointed out two inscriptions there. The one engraved on the northern jamb of the entrance door to the southern sanctuary of the eastern row (K. 773) consisted of six Sanskrit lines in Angkorian characters from the 10th-11th centuries, of which only a few isolated characters remain in end of lines there is nothing to draw from it.

The other inscription (K. 772), engraved on the northern abutment of the entrance door to the northern sanctuary of the western row, seems to be a little older, as there are double-headed r’s, still frequent in the 10th century. A part of the 15 Khmer lines of the beginning is roughed out, and the 10 legible lines which remain of it contain only a list of si, tai, gho. The writing of this first part is sloppy and the characters are of uneven caliber. After this inscription in Khmer, 4 Sanskrit lines in smaller characters and also comprising double-headed r’s, formed the beginning of a text whose continuation has not been engraved. Mention is made in these two çloka of an ascetic named Kavindracārya, identified with various Buddhist divinities thanks to a series of puns.

Inscriptions du Cambodge VII, George Coedes