Wat Preah Bat Buon Than

Contemporary monastery housing a carved rock depicting Vishnu. Near the monastery are a collection of older sema stones and sandstone remnants. On the north side of the contemporary pagoda, there are several huts, monks’ quarters, the pagoda that preceded the one in use today, and a hall surrounded by a fence, inside this is the rock carving that gives the site its name.

On our most recent visit (12/2024), we managed to find the key holder to the rock shelter. Located east of the contemporary pagoda is a natural spring whose rock formation features a relief of a double footprint and a reclining Vishnu anantasayin (sleeping on the naga, Ananta and giving birth to Brahma). Among the collection of Buddhist statues, seemingly of various eras, there is a large Buddha seated on Naga atop a four-sided diagraphic pedestal.

In the rock, behind the footprints, there are also two holes with reliefs to accommodate small sculptures. It also seems likely the rearmost footprint was added at a later time.

When they date to is unclear; the 11th century comes to mind as a time when rupestrian sites spread across the Phom Kulen area and when that particular iconography would have been in vogue. Meanwhile, the site is also noted for its late/post-Angkor period activity with sandstone slab-style leaf-shaped sema seen noted earlier.

Rodney Charles LHuillier

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..