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| A two-metre section of a Buddha statue unearthed this week sits on blocks at the Ta Prom temple, in Siem Reap province. (Photo Supplied) |
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post
The largest Angkorian-era Buddha statue to be discovered since the Khmer Rouge regime ended was unearthed at Ta Prom temple last Friday, an official from the Indian embassy confirmed yesterday.
The Ta Prom temple, at the world-famous Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap, has been under restoration by a team of Indian Government-funded technical experts since 2004.
Indian Embassy First Secretary Saurav Ray said the Buddha statue, found in the Hall of Dancers at Ta Prom, was the “largest Buddha statue discovered so far in Cambodia since the Khmer Rouge era”.
“The statue is incomplete – missing a large buddha head with a naga snake fan and part of the base,” he said, adding that the portion of the statue found was a massive two metres high.
“We have had 151 local people employed on the restoration work, and this is an amazing discovery,” Ray added.
Ta Prom temple is thought to have been built in the 12th or 13th century and was founded by King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university.
Like most temples at the Angkor Wat complex, Ta Prom was slowly strangled by the jungle after a decade of neglect during the Indochina war beginning in mid-1940s and later the civil conflict that engulfed the Kingdom from 1975 to 1998.
The Archaeological Survey of India first came to the temple in 1983 and conducted brief restoration work, before later returning in 2004 to begin a projected 10-year restor-ation effort of the impressive Angkorian structure.
UNESCO Culture Program specialist Philippe Delanghe said yesterday he had deployed a field officer to invest-igate the impressive find.
“It is a Buddha sitting on a Naga, and seems to be a very huge thing indeed,” he said.
“Such a big statue is quite a significant find – it looks at least as big as the famous Buddha at the Bayon temple.”
Restoration efforts by donor countries such as France and China, being conducted at many of the Angkor complex temples, have previously come under fire from natur-alists as being too aggressive.
However, UNESCO said that so far all restoration efforts had been received positively.
“The International Co-ord-ination Committee adhoc experts have very regularly been visiting the restoration sites and are very happy with the work that is being done,” Delanghe said.
Saurav Ray said Indian technical experts had received nothing but praise for their efforts from the Apsara Authority, the governing body of the Angkor complex.
“We are extremely happy with this very important find,” Ray said, adding that the technical experts were now conducting examination and analysis of the statue.
Representatives from the Apsara Authority declined to comment yesterday.
7 comments:
What on earth is Budhha's statue doing under the earth? Now, that's really seeking enlightment for all these years. But it appears that is head is out of this world.
Buddha's head can be found in Thai museum.
looters probably just took the head because it was too heavy for them to take the whole statue. and i do admit the statue looks like the same pose as that of the statue of king jayavarman VII; maybe there were more than one statue of king jayavarman VII. the one in the museum with missing arms might of have the same arms position like this one, really.
This had proved that after Jayavarman VII died, the whole country was in a CIVIL WAR, religious war, between royal families who one side was still practiced the Hinduism against Jayavarman VII's group who practiced Mahayana Buddhism.
THis Khmer nCiovil War lasted about 80 Years. Then the Khmer Empire collapsed. Thai in Sokhothai proclaimed independence in 1236 under the reign of Indravarman II who was Jayavarman VII's son.
And another war led by Ta Trasak Pa'em, or Ta Chey, to usurp the Angkor's throne in 1308 AD.
Thai took that opportunity by disguising as rebellious armies and
carried away the emerald Buddha from Bayon temple. This emerald Buddha, now in Thai Palace, was a gift from Sri Langka king to Jayavarman VII.
Jayavarman VII built Wat Nokor in Kampong Cham for Sri Langka high monk, Naga Sena Moha Thera, for a retreat ( Cham Vossa) and it was an easy way when that monk would return back to Sri Langka.
Naga Sena Moha Thera with a Jayavarman's son brougth Emerald Buddha and copy of Trei Bidakka to Angkor via Wat Nokor in Kampong Cham. So Kampong Cham ( Waiting port) became Kampong Cham ( Cham Port).
My own research.
Sithan Hin
2:34AM! how did you research or you guest?
it makes more sense when khmer people tell our history because when khmer people tell our history there is no bias against cambodia and khmer people compare to foreigner telling the history, you know! of course, khmer people did thorough research from our own country too, you know, not just foreign scholar, really!
2:34 AM
Well done. Good work, it sounds about right, can you share more stories with us.
Thanks
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