Ta Prohm: The Temple in a Jungle

A moment of silence, my soul unites with nature....

It’s beyond creative imagination of humans, a surreal union of man – made sanctuary to nature’s beauty. Ta Prohm, a quite sprawling temple complex in the heart of a jungle. Gigantic roots of enormous trees that embracing the towers and corridors is the most distinctive feature of temple. Stillness held me as my eyes spectacle in this kind of phenomenon. My heart poured a lot of emotions, it was a dreamlike for me, and truly been day dreaming to set foot in this wonderful unexpected conception. My senses surged in nirvana.

Together with my awesome travel buddies, Ton & Ram with our new found friend in Cambodia – Ali (Malaysian) we excitedly explored this ancient Khmer empire. This was also part of our 1 day pass in the Angkor City tour for $20.

Ram, Ton and Ali

Ta Prohm was built in 12^th – 13^th centuries and was founded by the Khmer King Jayarvarman VII as Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university which covers 600 square kilometers. UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the World Heritage list in 1992.

Its major appearance was first seen in the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2001, since then, in the mind of 12 year old boy who happened to be me was simply to get there, time passed so quick, I’m 25 now and still it was like my yesterday’s ultimate dream.

Scene from the movie Laro Croft: Tomb Raider

Ta Prohm has been left in the same condition in which it was found by the French in the late 19^th centuries: the picturesque and atmospheric combination of silk and bayan trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors. It seems like the temple itself and the trees mutually benefit with each other, a beautiful synergy indeed.

At the complex, parrots and other kind of birds crooned us, such a sweet way to welcome their guests. Heard from the tour guide from the other group of visitor, Ta Prohm is one of the largest temples in the Angkor complex; it comprises a series of low building standing on one level which is enclosed by rectangular laterite wall. The complex also included the 260 statues of gods, 39 towers with pinnacles and 566 groups of residences.

Our great exploration extended to the darkest corridors and open plazas. We walked through the pathway silently and with delight on our faces, ethereal sentiments overflowed our mind. Ta Prohm didn’t fail to amaze us for its disposition is far similar to the other temples, Ta Prohm is not a boring temple and you can see a variation of interesting things unlike in predictable Angkor Wat. Our mind puzzled how these great things happened, how the corridors and towers able to cradle these gigantic trees in a very long time, the temple must be made up of strong ancient materials.

At the end of temple, a group of musician serenaded us in their native tune. Souvenirs are also available upon exit, local kids will surely not let you passed without buying their goods. As we experienced, they offered 5 pieces of key chain for $5, the local kid chased us up to our rented car and we haggled persistently, made the 5 pieces key chain for $1 only. They are the best vendors in town. Hats off for those kids.

Ta Prohm is the undisputed capital of the Kingdom of the Trees. Masked in a dense jungle, definitely a delight to explore. My favorite temple in the Angkor City, worth to visit indeed.

Things you should know:

Working time: 5:00am - 5:30pm
Admission fee: 20 USD for 1 day
                      40 USD for 3 days visit per one week validity
                         60 USD for 7 days visit per one month
                     * Children under 12 years of age are FREE, just show passport.
   * You can visit all temple except KULEN Mountain and WAT BENGMEALEA.

How to get there:

You can arrange your tour with tuktuk drivers for 4 USD per person for whole day or rent a car for 25 - 35 USD depends on the tour package. Some guesthouses offer tuktuk service at the same rate. Haggle! :)

- See more at: http://www.kirkanatomy.com/2013/06/bayon-temple-perfectly-ruined.html#sthash.y9bfHCpu.dpuf

Things you should know:

Visiting time: 5:00am - 6:00pm
Admission fee: 20 USD for 1 day
                      40 USD for 3 days visit per one week validity
                         60 USD for 7 days visit per one month
                     * Children under 12 years of age are FREE, just show passport.
   * You can visit all temple except KULEN Mountain and WAT BENGMEALEA.

How to get there:

- See more at: http://www.kirkanatomy.com/2013/06/bayon-temple-perfectly-ruined.html#sthash.y9bfHCpu.dpuf

About

Ta Prohm: The Temple in a Jungle

2 comments: