
- Moorish proverb
Neak Pean is in several ways is one of the more unique
Carving at Neak Pean, Cambodia
As for reaching the main temple itself, there is only one entrance from the east, the other doors are now blind, and elephants are placed at their corners and Lokesvara depicted on the doors. For many the highlights of this temple are the sculptures within the lake which are so mystical given their backdrop in the water and their Hindu symbolism. Most striking would have to be the statue of a flying Balaha, the horse figure whose form the god Bodhisattva would take when in battle or helping the kingdom's peoples. A stsue of Vishnu is also present are many lingas. Via four small chapels, the larger pond is linked to the smaller ones, and inside these chapels can be found sculpted fountainheads - and this was a prime example of thirteenth century hydraulic engineering. Water would be poured from the main pond into a small tank above the fountainheads, which would then pass through a stone channel, emerging from the mouth.
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