Khmer temples . Originally the Khmer prang temples were for the worship of the
Hindu gods, such as
Shiva and
Vishnu. The space within the prang tower, the
cella, was relatively small for two reasons: • The rituals which were held in them were reserved for a small elite (in the capital of the Khmer only the god king could enter the shrine). • The technology of the Khmer could not yet make large airy halls. (Ringis, 1990) The cella was entered via a small porch, usually aligned to the east, which was called the
Mandapa. Over the cubic cella rose the central tower, the
bud-shaped prang, modeled after the cosmic mountain
Meru, crowned by a top stone in form of a
lotus bud. The Khmer prangs resembled north Indian temples'
shikhara and rekha (temple towers) elements. The early 10th century and the late 12th century prangs in Thailand were influenced by the Khmer architects of the great temple complexes of
Angkor Wat and
Angkor Thom.
Thai temples The first prangs in Thailand were built in
Phimai and
Khao Phnom Rung and
Lopburi between the early 10th century and the late 12th century, when the
Khmer kingdom was dominant. After the
Khmer Empire collapsed, the Thai building masters of the
Sukhothai Kingdom adapted the Prang form. They extended and developed it. The building material was no more separate small sandstone blocks, instead the Thais built the Prang in brick or laterite covered with stucco. And the cella could be reached only by stairs. An example for this is the Prang of the
Wat Mahathat in
Phitsanulok. Later developments of the Prang suggested the cella only. The entrance door became a niche, in which was placed the
Buddharupa (Buddha statue), which had originally taken the central position inside. For reasons of symmetry the niche was repeated on all four sides. On its pinnacle was a
Trishul, the "weapon of
Indra". A "more modern" Prang is a slim construction, like an ear of corn. The best example is
Wat Arun, the Khmer style landmark of
Bangkok. Also
Wat Phra Kaeo has six thin Prangs arranged in a row. Another example is the four Prangs arranged in all four directions around
Wat Pho in
Bangkok, and the five Prangs in
Wat Pichayart in
Thonburi. ==See also==