Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei — The Citadel of Women

Banteay Srei ("Citadel of Women") is located 37 km northeast of Angkor and is the most finely carved temple in the entire Angkor region. While the large temples impress with their mass, Banteay Srei captivates with the sheer perfection of its reliefs.

The temple is built of pink sandstone — a material that can be worked much more finely than the gray sandstone of Angkor Wat. The reliefs are so delicate that they look as if carved in wood, not stone. Scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata adorn the gables in a level of detail that would be difficult to achieve even with modern tools.

Highlights

• The three Prasat (towers): The central tower is dedicated to Shiva, the northern to Vishnu, the southern to Brahma. The gables depict scenes like the battle between Shiva and the demon Kama, the abduction of Sita, and the rain dance of Indra.
• Devata figures: The "beautiful women" — hence the name of the temple — are detailed down to hair, jewelry, and the draping of clothing. Each figure is individual.
• The Libraries: Two symmetrical "library buildings" with the most famous gables: In the east, a gable shows the rain god Indra riding the three-headed elephant Airavata.

The temple was built in the 10th century (967 AD) by a Brahmin (not by the king!) — one of the few temples not commissioned by the royal family. André Malraux, the later French Minister of Culture, attempted to steal some reliefs in 1923 — and was arrested.