Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei (បន្ទាយស្រី, Banteay Srei) is a 10th-century Hindu temple of red sandstone in the Angkor area of Siem Reap, Cambodia, dedicated to Shiva. It was consecrated on April 22, 967 CE, and it was the only major temple at Angkor not built by a ruler.

Illustration inspired by the temple's red sandstone shrines.

Heritage site details
Khmer name	បន្ទាយស្រី
Also known as	Tribhuvanamaheshvara
Site type	Temple
Location	Angkor, Siem Reap
Country	Cambodia
Period	10th century
Subjects	Religion & Spiritual Life; Visual Arts & Design

History

Two courtiers, Yajnavaraha and Vishnukumara, built the temple. They served as counselors to King Rajendravarman II. Yajnavaraha was a grandson of King Harshavarman I and taught the future King Jayavarman V. The foundation stela, the inscribed stone that records the temple's founding, remembers him as a scholar who helped people suffering from illness, injustice and poverty. A town called Ishvarapura once surrounded the temple.

The temple was first named Tribhuvanamaheshvara, "great lord of the threefold world," a name for Shiva and for its central Shiva image. Its buildings divide along an east-west axis, with the southern buildings for Shiva and the northern buildings for Vishnu. The temple was expanded and rebuilt in the 11th century. At some point it came under royal control, and in 1119 CE it was rededicated to Shiva. It remained in use at least until 1303 CE. After that date it probably lost its patrons, as Hinduism declined at Angkor and Theravada Buddhism took its place in the 14th century.

The temple was rediscovered in 1914. In 1923 the French writer André Malraux took four devatas, carved female divinities, from its walls. He was arrested and the figures were returned. The theft drew attention to the temple, and it was cleared the next year, in 1924. Many other sculptures from Banteay Srei were taken out of Cambodia and are now shown in European museums, among them the Guimet Museum in Paris.

Restoration began in 1931 under the French archaeologist Henri Marchal. It was the first important use at Angkor of anastylosis, a method that rebuilds a monument with its own original stones where possible. Its elaborate carving once suggested a later date, until the discovery of the foundation stela in 1936 showed that the temple was older.

Architecture and layout

Banteay Srei lies near Phnom Dei, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) northeast of the main group of Angkor temples. Its buildings are small by the standards of Angkor. Sandstone forms most of the temple buildings, while brick and laterite were used for the enclosure walls and some structural parts.

The complex has three rectangular enclosures, one inside another, along an east-west axis. The outer gopura, or gateway, is all that remains of the wall that once surrounded Ishvarapura. A causeway 67 meters (220 feet) long leads from it to the third enclosure. The third enclosure measures 95 by 110 meters (312 by 361 feet). A laterite wall with eastern and western gateways surrounds it, and a moat fills most of the space inside.

The inner enclosure holds an entrance chamber, three towers and two buildings known as libraries. The sanctuary stands on a T-shaped platform about 0.9 meters (3 feet) high. The central tower is the tallest, at 9.8 meters (32 feet). Two kneeling figures with human bodies and animal heads guarded each of the six stairways. Most of those in place today are replicas.

Art and inscriptions

Banteay Srei is widely praised as the jewel of Khmer art for its carved red sandstone, its miniature buildings and its decorated lintels and pediments. The pediments, the triangular panels above the doorways, are large for the openings below them and have sweeping gabled forms. Banteay Srei was the first Khmer temple where pediments showed complete scenes from myth, not only single figures. Other carving includes kala faces, dvarapala door guardians, devatas, false doors and small columns.

The scenes show Shiva, Parvati, Vishnu, Krishna, Indra and Rama, with figures from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. On the southern library, Ravana shakes Mount Kailash, where Shiva sits, and Kama shoots an arrow at Shiva. The northern library shows Indra, Agni and Krishna, and Krishna killing his uncle Kamsa. A pediment in the southeast part of the complex shows Shiva dancing, with the Tamil saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar in the lower left corner. She gave up her beauty to live as an ascetic. A pediment from the third enclosure's eastern gateway, showing Sunda and Upasunda fighting over Tilottama, is in the Guimet Museum.

The modern name means "citadel of the women." It is commonly linked to the fine relief carving and the small size of the buildings.

Significance and conservation

The joint Cambodian-Swiss Banteay Srei Conservation Project installed a drainage system between 2000 and 2003 and took steps to keep nearby trees from damaging the walls. Because of theft and vandalism, some original statues were removed and replaced with concrete copies. A statue of Shiva and Parvati was moved to the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh for safekeeping. The APSARA authorities keep the temple under constant watch.

Visiting

Banteay Srei is one of the most visited sites at Angkor. In 2010 the first enclosure reopened to visitors, but the inner temples stayed roped off. The site has a car park, a dining and shopping area, visitor information and an exhibition on the temple's history and restoration. As of 2026, the temple is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is included in the Angkor Archaeological Park pass. Visitors cover their shoulders and knees.

References