Sacred female image from Chao Say Tevoda

From the 8th-14th centuries, the Khmer civilization unified most of Southeast Asia, implementing systems of government, religion, education, agriculture and architecture that still color the region today.

Khmer nobility and peasants alike chose to live in homes of wood, bamboo and thatch as they reserved the more permanent materials of stone and brick only for temples to their gods. Today, thousands of their religious structures still dot the landscape of Cambodia and Thailand, offering us clues to understanding the amazing people who built them.

The best photo index of Khmer temples in Cambodia and Thailand is available free thanks to the efforts of “Khmersearch,” a skilled (and generous) German photographer. Panoramio hosts his high resolution photo collection of  ancient Khmer temples, hospitals, dharmasalas, ruins and water features. Each photo is geographically located using Google Earth.

I found this extensive collection while researching the obscure temples of Prasat Mebon and Prasat Toap near Banteay Chhmar. In fact, many of the structures featured are virtually unvisited sites that are difficult to find, making this online resource especially unique.

Note that his photo collection offers only visual verification of the sites and does not include historical details.

We at Devata.org express our gratitude to Khmersearch for the time and effort devoted to creating this important record of Khmer history. The temple list below is organized by country (Cambodia and Thailand).

Temples featuring devata (sacred women) appear in green (note that devata are not necessarily included in Khmersearch images). Links to Devata.org photo sets and related devata articles appear in red.

Cambodia

“All Cambodia Sites”

Thailand

The women of Angkor Wat, frequently called devata and apsaras, are related to many divine, semi-divine and mortal Asian females. While researching flying goddesses (like the apsaras manifesting from the Sea of Milk at Angkor Wat), I began following threads about the Indonesian rice goddess, Dewi Sri.

Dewi Sri, the Indonesian goddess of rice and fertility, is reputed to have pre-Hindu origins.

Sadly, ancient images of Dewi Sri are scarce to the point that I could find none…so we have to settle for this attractive, but modern, reproduction from Wikipedia. Still, it’s interesting to note that her accouterments and demeanor are immediately reminiscent of the devata of Angkor Wat.

Khmer Uma Goddess found at Koh Ker - Cornell Collection

Dewi Sri is associated with rice, water, the moon…and is believed to have dominion over the underworld…domain of the serpent or Naga race…the very same race that are progenitors of the Khmers.

Cambodia’s closest equivalent goddess seems to be Po Ino Nogar, whose name means “great one” in Khmer, and is sometimes associated with the Hindu goddess Uma. Po Ino Nogar is revered because she brings fertility and agricultural bounty to the earth and its people. Like the heavenly apsaras seen at Angkor Wat, she is also associated with the sky, clouds and water, and is sometimes symbolized as a gentle rain.

It is interesting to note that Po Ino Nogar is polyandrous, with 97 husbands. She also has 38 daughters, one of whom, Po Yan Dari, is supposedly a goddess of disease and death who lives in caves and grottos. However, in a Cham version of this tale, the daughter is named Pajau Tan, and she is seen as a divine healer. According to that legend, Pajau Tan was so successful raising the dead that she disrupted normal life and was finally sent to live on the moon. Another daughter of Po Ino Nogar is “the Mouse Queen” (Po Bya Tikuh), perhaps related because of the threat mice pose to the rice crop.

I’ve been unable to locate an image of Po Ino Nogar (please comment to provide info below) but Thailand’s rice goddess is quite popular and quite visible. Known as Mae Posop (แม่โพสพ) she is still honored as the goddess of fertility and abundance as this article from August 9, 2008 explains: Queen Sirikit of Thailand presided over a ceremony.

Since ancient times, Cambodian and Thai royalty have commemorated the beginning of the rice growing season with an annual Royal Plowing Day Ceremony in the month of May.

Mae Posop - แม่โพสพ- Thailand's Rice Goddess. Note that the letters seen top right are Khmer script, not Thai. Can anyone comment as to their significance?

This all seems relevant to our investigation of sacred Khmer women for a few reasons:

1. The iconography of the devata of Angkor Wat is also associated with fertility, growth and abundance.

2. Associations with naga (divine serpents), water, the underworld and the moon also potentially link these sacred females.

3. Java, the home of Dewi Sri, has proven ties to the Khmer civilization in ancient times (10th to 13th century).

To conclude,  let’s read a bit more about rice and tradition with our guest writer, and food aficionado, Vipp Rongsit from Thailand…

Thai Rice and the Ceremony of the Rice Goddess: Mae Posop

By Vipp Rongsit

Mae Posop - แม่โพสพ - Thailand's Rice Goddess

Rice is the mainstay of the Siamese diet and economy. It is always served with salads, meats, poultry, fish, and sea food. Two-thirds of the Thai people earn a living from rice farming. They produce enough not only to feed themselves, but also to be one of the world’s largest rice exporters. Rice farming is the greatest single contributor to national income, providing almost half of Thailand’s export earnings, and major support of government revenues. When one hires a servant in Siam, it is customary to supply rice in addition to salary.

Besides its economic importance, rice has a deep psychological and cultural meaning for the Thai, according to Phya Anuman Rajadhon, distinguished Thai historian and scholar of the customs and traditions of his country. When a Siamese wishes to say he is hungry, he says, “Hiu khao“ or “I’m hungry for rice.” When he is eating, he says, “Tan khao” or “I’m eating rice.” Even when he refers to food in general he uses the word khao, meaning rice.

Thai Rice Goddess - Mae Posop

There are many rituals and ceremonies that accompany rice farming, and, while some are losing their vitality with the passing of the older generation, others are practiced today. These observances are founded on the belief that there is a Rice Goddess or Rice Mother, Mae Posop (แม่โพสพ), who, if properly worshiped and propitiated, will reward the farmer with prosperity and good health. For those who deny her, only poverty and sickness will be their end.

It is said that she first came to reside in the land of the rice fields from Mount Meru, the home of the Hindu-Buddhist gods. Her journey over the Seven Seas and the Seven Mountain Ranges was long and tortuous. And on her heels came the many fish which today are still so plentiful in Siamese waters.

Mae Posop statue at a Thai temple.

When rice plants begin to seed, the Thai expression is that the rice becomes pregnant. This is a crisis in the life of the plant, and therefore its khwan (spirit or soul) must be strengthened. It is believed that every living thing has a khwan, man, animal, and plant. When a person is ill, the khwan flees the body. Death means that the khwan does not return.

During every crisis of life–birth, puberty, marriage–a ceremony is performed to strengthen this spirit. So for the pregnant Rice Mother an offering is made of banana, citrus fruit, and sugar cane for her morning sickness. The farmer puts these foods in a bamboo basket which he hangs on a flag pole in the fields. This also serves as a warning to trespassers to keep their animals from treading on the rice plants. The farmer then takes a comb, toilet powder, and perfumed ointment and symbolically combs a rice plant, dabbing it with powder and ointment as though it were the Rice Mother herself. He prays that through his offerings the Rice Mother will thrive and not come to harm.

After the harvest, the rice missed in the reaping, representing the spirit of the Rice Mother, is gathered, with an entreaty to her to leave the field, where she may be in danger of prowling mice and birds, and to come and live in the barn instead. When the threshing is done, an offering of boiled duck eggs, sweets, and fruit is made to the Rice Mother. What rice paddy remains on the threshing floor is then put into a basket and called Mae Posop’s rice. This is the spirit or essence of rice. Next a doll is made from rice straw and mixed with some of this paddy–as an image of the Rice Mother–and is kept in the barn with the paddy essence. When the sowing of rice begins in the rainy season, the Rice Mother’s essence is taken out of the barn and mixed with the paddy to be sown, to insure fertility. The doll is then ceremoniously destroyed.

Amulet with Mae Posop

Even when not directly concerned with the cultivation of rice, the Rice Mother must be propitiated. At the end of a meal children often raise their hands palm to palm in thanksgiving to the Rice Mother.

It is said that her ire is incurred if, when eating, one allows grains of rice to fall to the floor, or if these grains are stepped on, or leftover rice is discarded. If one wishes to criticize the way rice has been cooked, one must beg the Rice Mother’s pardon first and then politely make one’s complaint.

When fed to animals – and it is, by the way, the main source of food for cats, dogs, pigs, chickens, ducks, cows, and buffalo – rice must be offered in a container, not scattered on the ground, for the Rice Mother’s wrath may be incurred. The threatening danger is that she will leave the offender, and only bad luck will surround him without her.

About the Author

Vipp Rongsit is an author and editor specializing in Thai food & Thai recipes.

Thai Recipes | Thai Soup Recipes | Thai Restaurants

Source: http://www.articopia.com

NEW – See this article translated into the Tamil language by Santhipriya here:

Devata at Rajarani temple in Orissa

Bhubaneshwar, Orissa – Set like a gem among fertile ricefields, the 11th century Rajarani Temple is a breathtaking example of of Orissan style. It is also an immediate architectural predecessor of the Khmer Empire’s greatest monuments.

As at Angkor Wat, the Bayon, Preah Khan, Thommanon, Ta Som and other Khmer temples, we find female images as the majority of figures on Rajarani’s main structure. Playful celestial nymphs, devata, apsara or yaksini, dance upon lotus buds, framed by lush plants and foliage. Unlike the subdued “courtly devata” of the Khmers, these maidens are quite playful, and we see them engaged in romantic dalliance, enticing visitors, holding pet birds, adjusting jewelry, cradling children and gazing at themselves in mirrors.

The Dikpalas: Guardians of the Eight Directions

Agni, god of fire and guardian of the southeast

In addition to these heavenly beauties, the temple features eight “dikpalas”: guardians protecting the tower at the compass points. The guardians begin with the head of the demigods Indra in the east; Agni the god of fire (southeast); Yama god of death (south); Nirriti goddess of the black asuras, also known as Kali, (southwest); Varuna the god of water (west); Vayu the god of air (northwest); Kubera the god of weath shown with a wish-granting tree (north); and Īśāna, the face of Siva and master of all knowledge (northeast).

Northeastern Thailand, a region whose strong people were shaped by Khmer influence, is still to this day called Isaan, derived from Īśāna, the Hindu god of the northwest.

Like their Indian counterparts, Khmer temples were designed to incorporate alignment to certain compass points, however there are surprising variations. Asger Mollerup, a Danish author, linguist and archeo-astronomer, clearly establishes that the Khmers (like the ancient Indians, Chinese and Greeks) had a grasp of planetary movements far beyond what modern people believe they had. Circa 1,000 AD, the Khmers were familiar with the astronomical principles detailed in the Surya Siddhanta.

His article from the Thai site Muang Borarn Journal, considers the orientation of the Khmer temple of Phanom Rung in relation to celestial events. For a wealth of additional information, consult Mollerup’s research website, Sundial, Calendar & Khmer Temples, including this article about the “Navagraha,” or celestial deities of directions, that he examines in a number of Khmer temples.

Images of the Gods by Vittorio Roveda

Other astronomical research relating to Khmer temples by Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Robert Bywater is available at their site AncientCartography.net.

How divine images of Hindu gods and symbols in Khmer monuments relate to compass point associations is therefore an interesting area of inquiry. In his book, Images of the Gods, author and researcher Vittorio Roveda points out the surprising fact that Angkor Wat contradicts the Hindu rules of guardian placement: the gods there actually appear opposite from their prescribed locations. Roveda’s theory is that the temple designers and iconographers envisioned a mirror image in their construction plan, for reasons that are still unknown.

The chart below may inspire readers to make some new discoveries:

Adapted from Wikpedia “The Guardians of the Directions”

Ancient Angels and Modern Cambodian Dance

Above the figures of the major Rajarani gods we see flying angels. What’s curious is that these angels are in the identical pose that the ancient Cambodian dance traditions uses to symbolize flying to this very day! This inspired this article about the history of divine flight. If the link is not yet active, the article isn’t complete, but will be soon.

Flying entities above the god adopt a pose with the trailing leg bent upwards, identical to the pose still used to signify flying in Cambodian dance.

Flying entities above the god adopt a pose with the trailing leg bent upwards, identical to the pose still used to signify flying in Cambodian dance.

Cambodian dancer in the same flying pose depicted in more than a millennium of Indian art. Courtesy "Earth in Flower" by Paul Cravath

The Origin of Rajarani’s Name

In this region of Orissa, “rajarani” is the local name of the rich red and gold sandstone that the temple is made from. However, there is a debate about the temple’s name that is inspired by the name of the city Bhubaneswar itself: all Hindu temples dedicated to the God Shiva in that town end in the suffix “eswar.” Non-Shaivite temple names are based on the presiding deity (e.g. Parvati temple).

The Orissan king who built Rajarani temple died before the temple was complete. The ceremony to install the main deity was therefore never performed, leaving Rajarani eternally godless. At least one scholar has argued that the Rajarani name was applied at a much later date because of the local stone used, and that this shrine was originally built to honor Shiva, like many others in the town.

Rajarani temple is an extraordinary statement to the brilliance of the Indian architects, builders and spiritual leaders of Orissa. I hope I am one day able to supplement the modest gallery below:

Angkor Wat style devata at the Khmer temple of Sikoraphum

Sikhoraphum, Thailand – Just one hundred miles to the south, the Khmer civilization sanctified thousands of female images on the walls of their most important temples, both Hindu and Buddhist. But here, in what is now modern day Thailand, only two devata remain, fulfilling a mysterious spiritual mission long since forgotten.

Prasat Sikhoraphum is a Khmer gem in the south central plateau of Northeastern Thailand, or Isaan as residents call the region. In the rainy season, Isaan turns into a green ocean of rice fields. But when the annual waters receed, the earth dries and cracks making survival challenging even for the hardy residents, many of whom have Khmer blood flowing through their veins.

Thailand’s only two devata are not all that make Sikhoraphum temple unique. Its five towers are arranged in the same quincunx pattern as Angkor Wat itself, an especially rare configuration outside of Cambodia. This sacred design is limited to “state” temples, implying a high pedigree for this site.

But this makes sense, because this temple is thought to have actually been built under the direction of King Suryavarman II himself, the royal sponsor of Angkor Wat. The main entrance gate is labeled “Wat Prasat” (วัดปราสาท), which could be translated as “temple temple” or a bit more eloquantly as “temple palace.” (see bottom of article for links to our complete Sikhoraphum photo gallery)

Entrance to the Khmer temple of Sikhoraphum in Northeastern Thailand.

The site is well-kept and the same Thai man, an artist in his own right as you will learn, has maintained and respected this temple for decades. The devata themselves face east, flanking the entrance to the central prang, or tower.

View of Sikhoraphum's towers from the east. The devata flank the opening in the central tower to the north (right) and south (left).

The terrace of the temple (seen above) is 82 ft long (25 meters) with five tall prangs (towers) marking the corners and center. The structure is built of laterite and sandstone. It is important to note that the unusual “layer-cake” shape of the towers is attributed to brick remodeling done by by Laotian invaders in the 15th-16th century. Asger Mollerup suggests that the “Laotian invaders” may have simply been Laotian migrants. Indeed, “invaders” don’t usually contribute to public works.

In addition to the devata themselves, the door lintels and posts are magnificently carved. The secondary towers also house Buddhist relics and Khmer text, as you can see in the complete photo gallery.

The Khmer lintel over the central "prang" or tower of Sikhoraphum depicting the Dances of Shiva is considered one of the most beautiful in Thailand.

So let us get to the “stars” of the temple: the devata.

Devata framing the entrance to the main tower of Sikhoraphum

These women are the most prominent figures, standing on the most auspicious eastern side of the dawning sun, and flanking the main entrance of the central tower. I shall leave it to the logic of the viewer to decide if these women were “decorations” or a more important element of the spiritual plan of this temple. Each woman is accompanied by a Khmer “guardian” on the side wall.

The South Devata of Sikhoraphum

Smiling sweetly, the south devata stands surrounded by foliage and playful forest creatures. Her right hand, palm out, grasps a long-stem flower with the most popular sacred mudra (a spiritually symbolic hand position) seen at Angkor Wat. Her left hand holds a long seed pod below her navel. Still, her rounded face is not typical when compared to the faces of women at Angkor Wat.

Sikhoraphum Khmer Temple - South Devata

Her heavy earrings, necklace and armbands are like those at Angkor Wat, but she only wears single ankle bands and her crown style varies with a lower, broader central element.

Also note the small leaf-shaped objects over her ears. Within the context of our research, this small detail could be of great significance. At Angkor Wat, it is only seen on portraits of women displaying multiple attributes of power.

Her hips are broad and below her navel we see markings, again like those on many women at Angkor Wat. Waist-Hip Ratio, a scientific determinant of health and fertility pioneered by Dr. Devendra Singh, is one of our research parameters: the south devata has a ratio of .57.

Her sampot (Khmer skirt) blossoms out at the waist, a classic style seen at Angkor. This sampot style combines a long central “fishtail” with the outside “tail” typical of Angkor Wat devata.

Her feet are most interesting because of the exaggerated pose of lifting the toes and rolling up onto the sides of the foot. This move does not exist in modern classical dance in Cambodia or Thailand, nor is there anything to indicate that this woman is a dancer, performer or musician.

Finally, let’s consider the menagerie that joins her in her portrait. At Angkor Wat perhaps a dozen or so devata (out of 1,780) are seen with small birds. One is even portrayed with a tiny chihuahua-type dog.

But here we see first a parrot-like bird at the upper right, then on the left a squirrel chasing an unidentified animal with a long nose (or bill), and perhaps another animal in the lower left, now obscured by erosion.

The mood of her entire portrait is playful, relaxed and pleasant.

The North Devata of Sikhoraphum

Sikhoraphum - North Devata

Her sister to the north is similar, but with some key differences. Her jewelry is clearly Angkor Wat style, with the exception of her single anklet.

Again, we see the gentle facial expression and unusual crown. The crown, by the way, resembles one seen at Wat Phu in Laos. There are only four devata that exist outside of Cambodia, and the other two are there.

This time, however, she does not display the leaf elements above the ears.

She also holds the long-stemmed flower mid-body with the classic mudra. Her other hand clearly holds a seed pod below the navel.

Her waist is thin, her stomach is marked below the navel and her hips are also especially broad. Her Waist-Hip Ratio is .59.

The sampot again has the classic elements of a wide, blossoming waistband and center “fishtail,” while also including the characteristic Angkorian element of the long outside tail.

Her feet clearly show the toes upraised, but not nearly as much as the other devata.

Last, her animal friends include a squirrel and an absolutely huge bird that may be a Derbyan Parakeet, which have been kept as pets in China since medieval times.

To conclude, the temple of  Sikhoraphum is a sacred place – certainly one of the most unusual Khmer locations in Thailand – and is well worth the detour if you are fortunate enough to travel to this region.

Additional Sikhoraphum Media

Sikhoraphum Photo Gallery

Link to the main gallery here or follow individual links below.

The Caretaker’s Art Gallery at Sikhoraphum

Above I mentioned that the caretaker is an artist. In his spare time, he creates these mythic characters from natural materials, displaying them across an unpaved street directly to the east of the temple. He explained that he doesn’t sell them…he makes them for the sake of art. This link takes you to his entire collection.

A mermaid and a Kinneri created by the caretaker at Sikhoraphum

Andrew Hicks’ Visit to Sikhoraphum

In my Sikhoraphum research I found best-selling author Andrew Hicks, who has a readable, well illustrated account of his 2008 visit to Sikoraphum.

Prasat Sikhoraphum Video: Thousand Year Legend Festival

This video of a 2008 Surin festival was posted by VisitSurin.com. Skip past the world news feeds at the top and scroll down to find a treasure trove of info, photos and videos about this fascinating area. The page is filled (perhaps overloaded? …it’s a Thai web thing) with media. But from this festival it is quite clear that Northeastern Thailand is maintaining and respecting Khmer traditions.

Khmer Temples in Thailand and Laos

The following map shows that Isaan is rich with Khmer temples and culture. Note that Banteay Chhmar and Preah Vihear are both located in Cambodia.

The Khmer temple of Sikoraphum is home to the only two Angkor style devata we know of in Northeastern Thailand. The temple is about 20 miles east of Surin.