Sunday, March 06, 2011

Cambodia appeals Hindus for help to safeguard landmark Preah Vihear Shiva temple

2011-03-05
ANI (India)

Cambodia has sought the help of the Hindus worldwide to help safeguard the landmark Preah Vihear Shiva temple, which was reportedly damaged recently due to Thai-Cambodia border clashes.

Ros Borath, President of Cambodia's National Committee for the World Heritage, in a emailed letter to distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, wrote with the hope that "Hindu world will soon take notice of this place, most sacred to Shiva, and help people of Cambodia to safeguard this world heritage monument with universal spiritual value as propounded by Lord Shiva".

"Preah Vihear is Mount Kailash of South East Asia in the Dangrek range. Bhadreshvara-Shiva arrived here from Vat Phu via India to radiate his Shiva Teja over people of South East Asia flourishing under the Angkor kingdom. Preah Vihear is the open air theatre for the cosmic dance of Shiva. The colossal dancing image of Shiva is sculpted on the door frame (Pediment) of the mandapa of the main temple", Borath argued.


Describing the Temple, Committee President Borath further wrote: "Besides the central temple where this dancing image of Shiva is sculpted, there are four other temples at the four levels of the plateau (gopura II-IV). These gopuras are in reality mandapas where the gods of the family of Shiva (parivara devata) are depicted. Images of Brahma, Vishnu, Krishna and Shvia are all carved in bas-reliefs on the lintels and pediments over the doors of these five temples. Sanskrit and Khmer inscriptions found from Preah Vihear inform us that this temple complex was a great hermitage center for meditation, following the path of Shiva. There were a number of hermitages at the foothills of Dangrek, and the networking of these ashramas was done from Mount Preah Vihear, Kailash of mainland Southeast Asia."

"Since the sculpture of Shiva is above the door of the mandapa of the main temple, its safety is in great danger. All the images of parivara devata of Shiva, as they are sculpted out side the structure on the doorframes, are in great danger", he added.

Pictures of the Preah Vihear Shiva temple were also attached, indicating damages to Gopura (towered gateway found at the entrances to temples) I, II, III, IV, and V resulting from Thai-Cambodia border clashes.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged various Hindu organizations world over to raise public opinion about this Shiva (Bhadreshvara) Temple, claimed to be one of the world's biggest temple complex dedicated to Shiva.

Expressing serious concern at the reported damage, Rajan Zed said that international community, UNESCO, and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) should immediately provide funding to bring back this Lord Shiva temple to its original shape as it was before Thai-Cambodia clashes began February four. These organizations should not shy away to shoulder their responsibility of saving the important heritage of the world and respecting the feelings of Hindus worldwide, Rajan Zed said and added that besides temple repairs, some infrastructure in the area should also be provided for devotees and other visitors.

Zed stressed that this landmark age-old and revered Preah Vihear Hindu Shiva temple complex was important to Hindu heritage and must be preserved to pass it on to the future generations. Damage to 11th century Shiva temple was shocking and hurtful to the Hindu community world over. Lord Shiva, one of the major deities in Hinduism forming great triad with Brahma and Vishnu, was focus of worship of the Hindus, and it was important for them that Preah Vihear Hindu Shiva temple be protected. It was a world heritage and it was moral duty of the world to keep it intact for the coming generations.

Known as Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, this remote temple at the border between Thailand and Cambodia, which had reportedly not been clearly demarcated, had been a source of tension for generations. Preah Vihear was said to even predate Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple complex by about 100 years and its stunning setting made it finest of all the ruins left from the mighty Khmer civilization, Rajan Zed stated.

Zed pointed out that world should not let this sacred site dedicated to Lord Shiva (situated where Preah Vihear province of northern Cambodia touched Sisaket province of eastern Thailand) be further damaged to advance political agendas of some as there appeared to be a no clear solution to settle the long-standing territorial dispute surrounding the temple, which was already a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and whose history could be traced to 9th century when the hermitage was founded.

Moreover, Temple of Preah Vihear, an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture mostly created by Suryavarman I and Suryavarman II, was a unique architectural complex of a series of sanctuaries and was said to be exceptional for the quality of its architecture and carved stone ornamentation. It was reportedly dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva in his manifestations as Sikharesvara and Bhadresvara. It was also said to be marking representation of sacred Mount Meru, the abode of the gods, and showing a depiction of Churning of the Ocean, a Hindu scriptural episode, Rajan Zed said.

Cambodian Government's Committee describes Preah Vihear as: The site serves as a sacred place worshipping to the Hindu god Shiva manifesting as Sikharesvara (the Lord of Peak) and his figures are depicted on pediments and lintels.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a very smart move on the part of Mr. Ros Borath, President of Cambodia's National Committee for the World Heritage.

I congratulate him on his smart decision to enlist the help of all Hindus around the world.

Thank you very much for your brilliant work.

Anet Khmer

Tuk Trey Sre said...

I concur; get hindu and muslim support. the more the merrier.

Great job. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

why would muslims support this? We get Hindu support because it has religious values to both Khmer and Hindus, but as far as muslims go, the only muslims that would care are the muslim Cambodians who shares our heritage.

Anonymous said...

we should send for this type of support to all religious believe

this world is living with religious diversities

Anonymous said...

Thailand is an enemy of Hindu and buddhism by destroying
Preahhihear temple, pagoda and Buddha statute.

ជនពាល said...

ឆ្លាតគ្រាន់បើ ! យុទ្ធសាស្រ្ដនៃក្បួនរកលុយសម័យឥឡូវនេះ
គឺពិតជាមានប្រយោជន៍មែន។ តែទង្វើនេះ
គឺហាក់ដូចជា បណ្ដែតបណ្ដោយអោយឥទ្ធិពល
ព្រហ្មញ្ញសាសនា ចូលមកលុកលុយ
ក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជាសារជាថ្មី ឬយ៉ាងណា?

Anonymous said...

Heng soy and socheata ,KI you know alote of what is going on in Cambodia and your comments are sound good to SRP supporter I believe you are lives in oversea. You, me and some of our reader in this blog or KI blog are try to make our opinion ben heard, that was good piont but if we forcus too much on nagetive or wrong doing we didn't see or learn the positive from each other, to be fair we must mak it balance betweent Mr. Rainsy and Mr. Hun sen. we know Hunsen did alote of mistake in the past but people can learn from past experiences, now he doing the right thing for our nation. if you are runing your own business or runing the country ero are ineviable, as well as Rainsy runing SRP today. We must gave credit to superior side of our leader both of them. I am very bussy man but I did see KI and some Rainsy supporter are outragest and put their wrong believe on past experience and fale futur vision created by rainsy. in the Past Youn tooke Khmer krom, he arouse anger agianst youn and HUn sen, in the futur he put vision that for us to imagine that all Khmer next generation will have no land for their children he arouse, arouse, and arouse anger against Youn and hun sen, thise kinds of ideosensory very dangerouse used by Hitler and mosuliny, and Rainsy he work for Thai that for real. The thai if they wand to invade our country they put stratergy 5 to 10 years ahead, by first destroy our allian vietnam, then separet us and at last Thai will destroy us now you clearly see Thai supported Ki, and double agent rainsy stratergy are working very well, wasn't it true?. who are the real trator? Rainsy was, wasn't he? Mike

Anonymous said...

អាជនពាល!

មិនថា បង្កប់ការរកលុយ ឬយ៉ាងណានោះទេ តែយ៉ាងហោចណាស់ វាក៏ផ្តល់ផលប្រយោជន៍សំរាប់ខ្មែរដែរ ហើយក៏ធ្វើឲ្យពិភពលោក មើលឃើញធាតុពិតរបស់ពួកសៀមដែរ។

តើសាសនាព្រហ្មញ្ញមានអ្វីខុសឆ្គង? ព្រោះដូនតាយើងក៏ធ្លាប់គោរព សូម្បីតែឥឡូវក៏មានការប្រណិបត្តិលាយលំនឹងព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាដែរ។

គំនិតអាឯងនេះ គ្មានអ្វីក្រៅពីការអង្គុយមុខកុំព្យូទ័រ ហើយបញ្ចេញគំនិតរឹះគន់ បង្អាប់បង្អោនប៉ុណ្ណោះ។

អាឯងមិនត្រឹមតែជាជនពាលទេ តែជាមនុស្សចោលម្សៀតទៀតផង។

Anonymous said...

Mike,you know alote of what is going on in Cambodia and your comments are sound good to Yourn supporter I believe you are lives in oversea. You, me and some of our reader in this blog or KI blog are try to make our opinion ben heard, that was good piont but if we forcus too much on nagetive or wrong doing we didn't see or learn the positive from each other, to be fair we must mak it balance betweent Mr. Rainsy and Younrn puppet, HunSen. we know Hunsen did alote of mistake in the past and never admit it, people can rise up against him, now he doing the right thing for our nation. if you are runing your own business or runing the country ero are ineviable, as well as Rainsy runing trying to protec Cambodia. We must gave credit to superior side of our leader both of them. I am very bussy man but I did see KI and some Rainsy supporter are very fair and put their wrong believe on past experience and fale futur vision created by rainsy. in the Past Youn tooke Khmer krom, he arouse anger agianst youn and HUn sen, in the futur he put vision that for us to imagine that all Khmer next generation will have no land for their children he arouse, arouse, and arouse anger against Youn and hun sen, thise kinds of ideosensory very persisting. The thai if they wand to invade our country they put stratergy 5 to 10 years ahead, by first destroy our allian vietnam, then separet us and at last Thai will destroy Yourn now you clearly see Yourn don't supported Ki, and double agent Yourn agent, Mike stratergy are working very well, wasn't it true?. who are the real trator? Mike and Hun SEn?