Wolfgang's photos with the keyword: Wat Phu

The temple site of Wat Phu Champasak dates back to the Chenla Period (6th to 8th centuries) and was later part of the Khmer Angkor Empire (9th to 13th centuries). Although the surviving structures are not as grand as those near Siem Reap, Cambodia, the surrounding countryside makes a visit to Wat Phu well worth a stop for serious temple buffs and casual travelers alike. Situated at the base of Phu Pasak (Pasak Mountain), Wat Phu ascends in three levels up the side of the mountain to the main temple sanctuary commanding breathtaking views of the countryside. Historians believe that this site was chosen by the Khmers because of a natural spring that flows from near the top of the mountain and also because the peak of Phu Pasak resembles a Shiva phallus.

Although small and seemingly unimpressive, the side-chambers in this building may have influenced the subsequent design of Angkor Wat. The buddhas in the central chamber are modern. The front section, of sandstone, is now occupied by four Buddha images, while the brick rear part, which formerly contained the central linga, is empty. The entire roof is missing, although a makeshift covering has been added to the front. Water from the spring which emerges from the cliff about 60 m southwest of the sanctuary was channeled along stone aqueducts into the rear chamber, continuously bathing the linga.

From there the sacred stream flowed down the artificially terraced mountain slope into two sacred reservoirs or barays and finally into the Mekong River, whose life-giving waters were believed to sustain the whole of the ancient Khmer Empire. Standing structures within the temple complex include quadrangles, a Nandin Hall, small pavilions, brick towers, stairways and the main shrine, which was dedicated to Shiva.

A little Buddha image is outside the temple buiding, covered with a golden umbrella.

In this photo, looking east from the sanctuary partway up the mountain, we see the temple's causeway, which runs east-southeast and terminates in two grand barays (excavated reservoirs). The "middle baray," seen end-on in this photo, measures 200x600 meters. Its great length recedes much further into the distance than one can accurately judge here, being approximately equal to the distance from its near bank to the base of the mountain. The north baray (photo left) is wider, and lies due east of the sanctuary. The barays were probably built by Suryavarman II (1113-1150). One asks why the axis of the temple is south of due east, and why the two barays are situated as they are. The answer lies in astronomy: the barays were designed to reflect the image of the sun, from the middle baray at the vernal equinox, and from the north baray at the summer solistice.

Considered by many to be the most beautiful of all the Khmer temples, Wat Phu Champasak is distinguished as much by its dramatic and symbolic environmental setting as it is for its masterful architecture and iconographic art. The temple nestles at the foot of the 1,408-metre Phu Khao Mountain, known in Sanskrit as Lingaparvata or 'Linga Mountain' because it is said to resemble the linga of the Hindu god Shiva. Reputed by legend to be Shiva's birthplace, this has been a sacred site since at least the 5th century CE, when nearby Setapura is believed to have been a capital of the proto-Khmer kingdom of Upper (Land) Chenla. Construction of the Wat Phu temple was begun as early as the 7th century CE under Jayavarman I, though most of the surviving buildings date from the reigns of Jayavarman VI (1080-1107) and Suryavarman II (1113-1150). Converted from Hinduism to Buddhism in the 13th century, the site was maintained by the Khmer rulers right down to the 14th century and still plays an important role in local religious life today.

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Wat Phu (mountain temple) is a site that dates back to the 5th century. The original temple was built by the Khmer Hindus at the top of a hill at the site of a fresh water spring. The peak of the hill is said to resemble a lingum or Shiva Phallus. The exact history of Wat Phu is unclear, but was certainly the site of a temple of the Khmer empire that eventually made Ankor Wat its capital. The temple is stunning, and very remote, with superb views of the Mekong valley. At the top of the temple site are a number of carved rocks, resembling a crocodile, a naga and an elephant. It is believed that these rocks were used for human sacrifice.

The site along with other outlining temples was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List as Wat Phu and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape on 14 December 2001. Am Exhibition Hall funded by the Japanese government was opened at the main entrance area to the site in 2003; this houses important artefacts recovered both within and nearby the complex.

The statue on the way up to the historical area of Wat Phou near Pakxé mostly is known as a image of Lord Buddha. People leave their offerings on the altar in front of the holy statue. But afterwards we were tought that the image isn't Lord Buddha but the Bodhisattva of Yasovarman I (first) the Khmer Angkorian king who reigned in 889 - 910 CE and was to let built the Prasat Wat Phou on the hill a part of the Khmer Empire centred on Angkor Ancient Khmer Highway to the southwest. Yasovarman I was called the "Leper King", the king who had leprosy.