THE ROLUOS GROUP TEMPLE - Khmer History

THE ROLUOS GROUP TEMPLE

The Roluos group temple is located in Siem reab province at Angkor side Cambodai.Roluos is a Cambodian modern small town and an archaeological site about 13 km east of Siem Reap along NH6. Once it was the seat of Hariharalaya,[1]:98 first capital of Khmer Empire north of Tonlé Sap (as the first capital in the strict sense of the term could have been Indrapura, identifiable with Banteay Prey Nokor[2]).At present it is composed by three major temples: Bakong, Lolei, and Preah Ko, along with tiny Prasat Prei Monti. At both Bakong and Lolei there are contemporary Theravada Buddhist monasteries.The building here are among the oldest to be found in the area. It is believed that the Capital was founded here before it moved to the area near Phnom bakheng and (much later)Angkor Thom.

The layout of prah ko consist of four enclosing walls from which only parts of the inner two of the entrance tower remain. The six towers of the central sanctuary are built from brick with sandstone lintels and balusters. The tower were originally covered with a light scsoloured plaster of which little remains today.The lintels (the large stone above the doors) are beautifully carved.

THE SMALL TEMPLE OF ROLUOS GROUP

In 1997 restoration of prah ko was undertaken. This will probably last until 1999.A little north of prah ko and the Bakong you can find the small temple of Lolie. It consists of four towers in a declining state . As the brick is relatively soft plants flourish on them.Still a miracle that they stand after a thousand years of wind and weather.The temple originally was an island in the middle of the Baray (water basin)some 3800 by 800 meter, now dry at some part.Among the "Roluos Group" of temples there are some of the earliest permanent structures built by Khmer. They mark the beginning of classical period of Khmer civilization, dating from the late 9th century. Some were totally built with bricks, others partially with laterite or sandstone (the first large angkorian temple built with sandstone was possibly Ta Keo.The roluos group it has a lot of temple and has a lot of people visit and most of them are foreigner.