1 Buddha becomes 4:
In January 2003 on my first visit to the complex of temples known as Preah Khan Kompong Svay, aka Bakan, I wrote this extract about what today is called Preah Chaktomuk: ‘Preah Ang Thom used to be a massive standing sandstone Buddha though only the bottom half and a hand still remain in place.’ That was the first and last time I saw the Buddha, so a return visit is long overdue, especially as the Buddha turned out to be four of them, back-to-back, standing nearly 10 meters in height. Back in 2003, the sandstone blocks were dispersed and covered in soil and foliage. Then in 2018, a tremendous conservation effort excavated, recovered and renovated the four standing Buddhas that can be seen at the site today. Located at the southwestern corner of the large baray, the name Preah Ang Thom has been dropped and though visitor numbers to Preah Khan Kompong Svay are pretty low, everyone makes a bee-line for Preah Chaktomuk.
https://t.me/SacredandStolen
