Neak Pean: A Crystal Beauty in The Middle of Swamp

#voyagevibes Built during the era of King Jayavarman VII (reign 1181-1218 CE), Neak Paan (or Neak Poon) is one of the most mysterious and unique temples of the Angkor Empire. Located on a man-made island in the center of a huge baray (lake), hidden among dense forests, is a very special Buddhist temple. The central sanctuary, rising on a double circular lotus-style base, is located in the center of a large pool with four more smaller sanctuaries that join this pool with smaller pools on the cardinal directions. Located to the east of the Preah Khan Temple, with which it is connected, and located in the center of Jaitataka Barai, which measures 3,600 by 900 meters, Neak Pean Island has a length of 350 meters from the side and occupies 120,000 sq. m. Laterite walls with steps on the cardinal directions forming its perimeter. The temple and the pools described below are located in the very center of the island and are surrounded by auxiliary pools formed not of laterite. The one-of-a-kind central sanctuary opens to the east and is decorated with large images of Avalokiteshvara closing false doors on the other sides, with a three-headed elephant between each of them, on top of which is a roaring lion. As already mentioned, it uniquely rises from a round double lotus, which is then surrounded by intertwined naga snakes, located on either side of the statue of the horse, Balakha. Balakha's horse is a character in a Buddhist legend from the Karandavyuha Sutra, where Balakha is the previous incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, who saves the life of the previous incarnation of the Buddha himself. The edicts on the cardinal directions connecting the central pool with the corresponding external pool are also decorated with images of Avalokiteshvara and numerous symbols, on the pediment of one of them there is a palace scene, and all of them are crowned with a four-sided Chaitya, again depicting Avalokiteshvara. The highlight of these buckets is their sewerage, which allows water to flow from the central pool into a bucket, through a pedestal and from a spout in the form of a lion's head on the southern bucket, a horse's head in the west, an elephant's head in the north and a human head in the east. Exploring this place will not take much time, and if you have more time, there is a beautiful and picturesque nature trail that will take you along the outer edge of the island with benches to enjoy a peaceful view of the waters of Barai. The trail starts near the newly renovated marina on the north side, following the outer edge where you can see the laterite retaining wall of the island.