Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Korat, Issan, a trip to Phimai historical park, Thailand. ( 21 )
- Duration: 1:18
- Updated: 20 Sep 2014
Phimai is famous for the Phimai Historical Park and its Khmer temples, among the best-preserved in Thailand and similar ( if much smaller ) than those at Angkor Wat. It opens daily from 07:30 and costs 100 Baht for foreigners. Parts of the park are older than Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Includes Khmer buildings, sculptures leading to the shrine, restaurant, and gift shop.
The Phimai historical park protects one of the most important Khmer temples of Thailand. It is located in the town of Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The temple marks one end of the Ancient Khmer Highway from Angkor. As the enclosed area of 1020x580m is comparable with that of Angkor Wat, Phimai must have been an important city in the Khmer empire. Most buildings are from the late 11th to the late 12th century, built in the Baphuon, Bayon and Angkor Wat style. However, even though the Khmer at that time were Hindu, the temple was built as a Buddhist temple, as Buddhism in the Khorat area dated back to the 7th century. Inscriptions name the site Vimayapura (which means city of Vimaya), which developed into the Thai name Phimai.
The first inventory of the ruins was done in 1901 by the French geographer Etienne Aymonier. They were put under governmental protection by announcement in the Government Gazette, Volume 53, section 34, from September 27, 1936. Most of the restorations were done from 1964 to 1969 as a joint Thai-French project. The historical park, now managed by the Fine Arts Department, was officially opened by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on April 12, 1989.
In the aftermath of the fall of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1767, attempts were made to set up five separate states, with Prince Teppipit, a son of king Boromakot, attempting to establish Phimai as one, holding sway over eastern provinces including Nakhon Ratchasima. The weakest of the five, Prince Teppipit was the first defeated and was executed in 1768. Phimai had also been an important town at the time of the Khmer. The temple Prasat Hin Phimai, located in the center of the town, was one of the major Khmer temples in ancient Thailand, connected with Angkor by an ancient Khmer Highway, and oriented so as to face Angkor as its cardinal direction. The site is now protected as the Phimai historical park.
Because of its location deep in the northeastern part of Thailand, which was once a territory of the Khmer (modern day Cambodia), Phimai’s architecture and cultural decorations are heavily influenced by Khmer culture. Art and architecture shown on the temple itself shows great evidence of the ancient Khmer civilization. Similar in its look and design to Angkor, it also has the same function for worshiping the gods in the Hindu religion.
Despite the fact that Phimai has been built in a similar fashion to Angkor and other Khmer Buddhist temples, some religious structures located within Phimai’s walls are still being debated about its original religion. Evidence such as the sculpture of “the Wheel of Law” or the statue of Buddha that were built in Dvaravati style shows that Phimai was certainly an important Buddhist spiritual location. Though a large quantity of Buddhist artwork has been shown in Phimai, evidence such as large the pots that were embedded in some corners of the structure suggest that spiritual practices other than Buddhism have been practiced in Phimai. In other words Phimai has been an important religious landmark for Animists, Buddhists, and Hindus.
There has not been much evidence of how Phimai or the Khmer civilization in Thailand came about. There are pieces of evidence that archaeologists have studied regarding the history of these Khmer art forms. The earliest engraved records of the Khmer, dating from the 6th century AD, were found in the northeast of Thailand, such as in Surin where Sanskrit inscriptions in stone have been found. There were statues and engraved images of Hindu gods such as the image of Shiva’s bull Nandin. Later the king during that time, Mahendravarman, ordered his men to obliterate the engraved inscription. In modern day’s issue, it has still been debating about the unsure territory that the evidence may have been vanished.
http://wn.com/Nakhon_Ratchasima_Province,_Korat,_Issan,_a_trip_to_Phimai_historical_park,_Thailand._(_21_)
Phimai is famous for the Phimai Historical Park and its Khmer temples, among the best-preserved in Thailand and similar ( if much smaller ) than those at Angkor Wat. It opens daily from 07:30 and costs 100 Baht for foreigners. Parts of the park are older than Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Includes Khmer buildings, sculptures leading to the shrine, restaurant, and gift shop.
The Phimai historical park protects one of the most important Khmer temples of Thailand. It is located in the town of Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The temple marks one end of the Ancient Khmer Highway from Angkor. As the enclosed area of 1020x580m is comparable with that of Angkor Wat, Phimai must have been an important city in the Khmer empire. Most buildings are from the late 11th to the late 12th century, built in the Baphuon, Bayon and Angkor Wat style. However, even though the Khmer at that time were Hindu, the temple was built as a Buddhist temple, as Buddhism in the Khorat area dated back to the 7th century. Inscriptions name the site Vimayapura (which means city of Vimaya), which developed into the Thai name Phimai.
The first inventory of the ruins was done in 1901 by the French geographer Etienne Aymonier. They were put under governmental protection by announcement in the Government Gazette, Volume 53, section 34, from September 27, 1936. Most of the restorations were done from 1964 to 1969 as a joint Thai-French project. The historical park, now managed by the Fine Arts Department, was officially opened by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on April 12, 1989.
In the aftermath of the fall of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1767, attempts were made to set up five separate states, with Prince Teppipit, a son of king Boromakot, attempting to establish Phimai as one, holding sway over eastern provinces including Nakhon Ratchasima. The weakest of the five, Prince Teppipit was the first defeated and was executed in 1768. Phimai had also been an important town at the time of the Khmer. The temple Prasat Hin Phimai, located in the center of the town, was one of the major Khmer temples in ancient Thailand, connected with Angkor by an ancient Khmer Highway, and oriented so as to face Angkor as its cardinal direction. The site is now protected as the Phimai historical park.
Because of its location deep in the northeastern part of Thailand, which was once a territory of the Khmer (modern day Cambodia), Phimai’s architecture and cultural decorations are heavily influenced by Khmer culture. Art and architecture shown on the temple itself shows great evidence of the ancient Khmer civilization. Similar in its look and design to Angkor, it also has the same function for worshiping the gods in the Hindu religion.
Despite the fact that Phimai has been built in a similar fashion to Angkor and other Khmer Buddhist temples, some religious structures located within Phimai’s walls are still being debated about its original religion. Evidence such as the sculpture of “the Wheel of Law” or the statue of Buddha that were built in Dvaravati style shows that Phimai was certainly an important Buddhist spiritual location. Though a large quantity of Buddhist artwork has been shown in Phimai, evidence such as large the pots that were embedded in some corners of the structure suggest that spiritual practices other than Buddhism have been practiced in Phimai. In other words Phimai has been an important religious landmark for Animists, Buddhists, and Hindus.
There has not been much evidence of how Phimai or the Khmer civilization in Thailand came about. There are pieces of evidence that archaeologists have studied regarding the history of these Khmer art forms. The earliest engraved records of the Khmer, dating from the 6th century AD, were found in the northeast of Thailand, such as in Surin where Sanskrit inscriptions in stone have been found. There were statues and engraved images of Hindu gods such as the image of Shiva’s bull Nandin. Later the king during that time, Mahendravarman, ordered his men to obliterate the engraved inscription. In modern day’s issue, it has still been debating about the unsure territory that the evidence may have been vanished.
- published: 20 Sep 2014
- views: 0