Ta Prohm Temple

Overview of Ta Prohm Temple

Ta Prohm, known for the huge trees and the massive roots growing out of its wall, is believed to have been built in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century. This “Jungle temple” was featured in the adventure movie The Tomb Raider; several shots were filmed here.

It was founded by King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found where the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor’s most popular temples with visitors.

Rajavihara (Royal temple), as it was originally known, was one of the first temples founded pursuant to a massive program of construction and public works after the King’s ascension to the throne in 1811 A.D. It was built in honor of his family. The temple’s main image, representing Prajnaparamita, the personification of wisdom, was modeled on the king’s mother. The northern and southern satellite temples in the third enclosure were dedicated to the king’s guru and his elder brother respectively. As such, Ta Prohm formed a complementary pair with the temple monastery of Preah Khan, dedicated in 1191 A.D., the main image of which represented Avelokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion and was modeled on the king’s father.

The site was home to more than 12,500 people (including 18 high priests and 615 dancers), with an additional 80,000 people in the surrounding villages working to provide services and supplies.

Here at Ta Prohm, look out for an unusual and mysterious carving of what seems to look like a Stegosaurus. This little carving has become quite popular in recent years; arousing speculations and debates. Some think it is evidence that dinosaurs existed during human times. However, given that Ta Prohm was constructed around the 12 century, they hardly had the technology to determine what a Stegosaurus looked like even if they had unearthed some dinosaur bones.

Etymology

Ta Prohm (Khmer: ប្រាសាទតាព្រហ្ម, “Ancestor Brahma”) is actually a modern name, with Ta meaning Ancestor and Prohm meaning Brahma, some also refer to it as Old Brahma. it was originally known as the citadel of Rajavihara (Khmer: រាជវិហារ, “royal monastery”). In modern culture, it is loosely known as “Tomb Raider Temple” having featured in the movie and sometimes as “Tree Temple”.

Layout

Ta Prohm is oriented to the east on a central east-west axis with a flat plan not featuring any ground elevation. The outermost rectangular enclosure measures around 1000 m by 700 m enclosing a 600,000 sq m (60 hectare) area. Located at the very center of this area is a moat 300 m x 300 m, then a second enclosure wall 240 m x 240 m, another moat 200 m x 200 m, and another enclosure 100 m x 100 m, and then the central enclosure at 24 m x 24 m containing the central sanctuary.

Visiting Ta Prohm

While the traditional entry is the eastern entry, the main gate for visitors today is the western entrance which is also in better condition than the eastern entrance (gopura) which is currently under restoration. Regardless, it is possible to enter or exit through either. At the western entry, there are several stalls for food and drinks along with souvenirs, shirts, etc. and also public toilets. Whilst not as many, there are several stalls at the eastern gate also.

Like most temples, while there are display boards with suggested walking routes, it is a bit of a maze and you’ll find yourself going sideways, backward and around a bit, but that’s OK. The highlights here are the western gate with its smiling faces, narrow vertical bas-reliefs near doorways, pediments and lintels, the ruinous character, and the amazing trees with their reptile-like roots overtaking the remains. For a detailed route see the walkthrough guide further below.

The temple is open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm and it’s recommended to spend 1-2 hours here. Entry is included in the Angkor Pass.

Getting to Ta Prohm

The western temple entry is accessed by smooth sealed roads and you can reach the temple from Siem Reap by Tuk Tuk, Pass APP, bike, moto, or car. It takes around 20 min by car to reach the site from Siem Reap city and the temple is part of the “Small Circuit” which covers the central temples of Angkor.