Important ancient Khmer castles of Sa Kaeo Province

Prasat Sdok Kok Thom is located in Khok Sung District, Sa Kaeo Province. It is an important ancient Khmer castle in Sa Kaeo Province and the largest in the eastern region. It is believed to have been built in the 14th Buddhist century to house religious figures and perform rituals according to Hindu beliefs. The word Sdok Kok Thom means “a city with reeds growing in a large swamp.” Today, the large swamp in the past can still be seen near the castle. The most valuable and important thing about Prasat Sdok Kok Thom is the discovery of the Sdok Kok Thom stone inscription (stone 2), which records the history of the Khmer people for a period of 200 years. The castle is made of sandstone with only the remaining door arches on the east and west sides. Inside the covered walkway, there are two sandstone libraries in front of the central castle, which is the main prang. Outside the castle on the east side, there is a large square pond with a stone-paved road from the castle to the pond. Further in, there is a covered walkway surrounding the castle with a gopura in the middle of the wall. The castle has the main prang in the middle. In front of the main prang The corner of the covered walkway is home to two libraries, which are believed to be used to store textbooks. This castle faces east, just like other Khmer castles. The Khmer believed that the east is the direction of light and auspiciousness, while the west is the direction of death. The main prang is like Mount Sumeru, surrounded by pillars as a perimeter, indicating that it is the most sacred area. Inside the main prang, there was originally a Shiva lingam, a religious figure representing Shiva, one of the three supreme gods of Hinduism. This indicates that this castle was a religious site of the Shaivism sect, which worships Shiva as the greatest. Currently, only the yoni base remains. In addition, the castle plan also shows the beliefs of Hinduism in the universe, with Mount Sumeru in the middle, surrounded by a huge ring of water. When you walk into the gopura on the east side of the glass wall, through the moat and covered walkway, it is like entering the center of the universe. #Drive and rest when tired #mind_madge #thailand #waiting for the day to travel #eastern team