This coming February, join us on a weekend trip to explore various architecture along the Royal Road in Northeastern Thailand. The trip will be led by Professor Emeritus Dr Momrajawongse Suriyavudh Sukhasvasti.

The Dharmasala Route (Royal Road) from Angkor to Phimai

The Preah Khan inscription from Angkor describes how Jayavarman VII (AD 1181 – 1218) had 121 “houses with fire” built along the major roads of his empire. On the road from the capital to Vimaya (Phimai) were constructed 17 such buildings. Research indicated that this road was dotted with shelters (Dharmasala), hospitals (Arogyashala) and temples (Pasada). The final destination for the travelling pilgrims and traders was Phimai.

This programme is sure to be the most insightful and memorable. The prospective sites are:

Phimai Historical Park was originally started by Khmer King Jayavarman V in the late 10^th century and finished by King Suriyavarman I (1002 – 1049) in the early 11^th century. The main shrine, 28 metres tall, of cruciform design, is made of white sandstone, while the adjunct shrines are of pink sandstone and laterite. The lintel sculptures over the doorways to the main shrine are particularly impressive. The Phimai temple, like many other Khmer monuments in this part of Thailand, predates the famous Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia. When the Angkor empire was at its peak and encompassed parts of Thailand, Phimai was directly connected to the Angkor capital by road.

Phimai National Museum is a new museum dedicated to Isan culture. It houses many of the best lintels and statues from Phimai, Phanom Rung, Phanomwan and other Khmer sites in Thailand as well as ceramics from nearby Ban Prasat.

Prasat Ta Muean Group; Distinctive example of Khmer architectures built during the reign of Jayavarman VII on the Royal Roads.  The Prasat Ta Muean Group consist of three important architectures; Prasat Ta Muean Thom (The prasada is used for religious ritual and god worshipping); Prasat Ta Muean Toj (Arogyashala held the role of a hospital) and Prasat Ta Muean (The rest house or the Dharmasala)

Phanom Rung Historical Park is dramatically situated on top of a dormant volcano, 383 metres above sea level. This distinctive “stone castle”, the most architecturally advanced in Thailand, is one of the most important Khmer monuments on the route between Angkor and Phimai. The craftsmanship and the narrative quality of the decorative elements, such as lintels, pediments, doorframes, moldings, pilasters, and antefixes are outstanding.

Prasat Hin Muang Tam or the “lower city” stands at the foot of Khao Phnom Rung and was built of brick, sandstone and laterite between the 10^th and 12^th centuries.