Cambodian Insight magazine investigates whether the exquisite portrait carvings at Preah Khan represent Queen Jayarajadevi and Queen Indradevi.
Khmer-American photographer Phalika proposes that two heavenly women on the walls of an ancient Cambodian temple may be more than artistic imagination. A new magazine, Cambodia Insight, features her theories in an intriguing cover story.
Cambodian Insight magazine investigates whether the exquisite portrait carvings at Preah Khan represent Queen Jayarajadevi and Queen Indradevi.
Siem Reap, Cambodia – For 150 years, archeologists and experts have assumed that thousands of beautiful women lining the walls of Cambodia’s temples represented apsaras: imaginary dancers manifested from the churning of a magical Sea of Milk to entertain in the Hindu god Indra’s court in heaven.
But what if some of these female images represent real women?
Khmer-American photographer Phalika believes that the sister queens of King Jayavarman VII – Jayarajadevi and Indradevi – are clearly portrayed by two detailed statues in the heart of Preah Khan temple. Tragically, these magnificent stone images, some of the most exquisite ever carved in Cambodia, may now be threatened by structural collapse and even vandalism.
In her article in Cambodia Insight magazine, Phalika states,
“I believe that as Khmers with our rich heritage and due respect to our good kings and queens, if we had known these as portraits of Queen Indradevi and Queen Jayarajadevi instead of calling them apsaras, hidden in Preah Khan endangered by collapsing stone walls, we would have saved their precious sculptures and places them next to King Jayavarman VII in a museum.”
Devata.org examined the goddesses of Preah Khan’s inner temple and noted similarities between these images and other accepted portraits of Queen Jayarajadevi. Phalika has continued gathering additional photographic evidence supporting this theory, that readers can consider for themselves on her website. Phalika also has downloadable PDF documents of her research available for free download in French and English.
Download the complete article free at Cambodian Insight (see thumbnails below).
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I fully agree with Phalika’s findings. I’ve prsented this matter an my website:
http://www.angkorguide.net/mythology/devata.htm
http://www.angkorguide.net/mythology/DevataApsara.html
But: Do these reliefs just show queens, or even ‘goddess-queens’?
I think: No.
From the East Mebon (952) we know by an inscription that an idol of Parvati was carved ‘in the likeness of’ the king’s mother. (Glaize 2003, p. 161). The statue of Prajnaparamita in Ta Prohm (1186) was ‘in the likeness’ of the king’s mother. (Freeman/Jacques 2003, p. 136).
So the reliefs depict goddesses or female deities in the likeness of Queen Indradevi and Queen Jayarajadevi.
[ cannot download Phalika's pages.]
I agree with Reinhart, the images are most likely both Queens and Godesses or Apsaras. It is clear that the likeness of Jayavarman VII was used for the images of Avalokitesvara at Bayon.
I cannot agree that these pieces need taking to a museum though as Phalika argues, that would be not be a good thing. Better they get adequate protection in situ.
1. With all due respect to Reinhart as he kindly pointed out that the king (name?) of 952 made Parvati to the likeliness of his mother as did King Jayavarman VII (1186) made Prajnaparamita to the likeliness of his mother. Therefore, Prajnaparamita is NOT as “presumed” also, to the likeliness of Queen Jayarajadevi, his wife.
2. All the devatas should bear some divinity name or recognized as such, as Prajnaparamita (a Buddhist divinity), or Lakshmi or Parvati (both Hindu divinities) etc. ALL of the images of the queen-goddess-devata bore NO name as the few statues found of Jayavarman VII. Also, king-god or queen-goddess bore no distinctions in reverence; however, their accoutrement in royal regalia differed greatly, for instance compared the statues of Prajnaparamita and Lakshmi to the queens-goddesses, http://www.phalikan.com/photostories/insights.html, click on “the two queens” tab. If these 2 queens did NOT represent themselves; then, which Buddhist goddesses were they representing?
3. The irony is that the “presumed” images of queen Jayarajadevi (and those of the King) were excavated, extracted from “in situ” to be showcased, protected, and cared for in museums. (see the above link and observe the chiseled out stone of the base of statues.) Whereas, the only 2 unique specimens of the likeliness of the images of the 2 queens, showcasing the highest workmanship and artistry in rendering human portraits, are left open, unprotected from the elements and vandalism. See the current state of roofing of their dungeon, http://www.phalikan.com/part1/mod1.html.
Hello.
Good website but I was actually hoping for the names of the famous goddesses and gods.
To Jasmine…many of the gods and goddesses of the Khmer have the same names as those in the Hindu and Buddhist pantheons of India but the Khmer interpretations may vary.
Check these two articles out for some goddess names. The first one is about rice goddesses:
http://www.devata.org/2009/10/rice-goddesses-of-indonesia-cambodia-and-thailand/
The second is about goddesses in India
http://www.devata.org/2010/03/chausath-yogini-temple-complete-inventory-of-goddesses-and-gods/
Regarding the article above, the author’s evidence suggests that some images that were thought to be goddesses may actually be representations of two Cambodian queens.
Continuing the Discussion