Kbal Spean
| Native Name | ក្បាលស្ពាន |
|---|---|
| Alternative name | River of a Thousand Lingas, River of a 1000 Lingas |
| BA# | C1703010 |
| CISARK# | 1943 |
| IK# | 224.43 |
| K Inscription | K.1011, K.1012, K.1015, K.1016 |
| Inscr. Location | In situ |
| Size | Large |
| Condition | Intact |
| Type | Under Water |
| Location | |
| Village | Khun Ream |
| Commune | Khun Ream |
| District | Banteay Srei |
| Province | Siem Reap |
| Country | Cambodia |
| Coordinates | 13.68649, 104.01564 |
| History | |
| Founded | 11th Century |
| Builder | Suryavarman I |
| Art Style | Khleang |
| Material | Sandstone (natural rock) |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Deity | Vishnu/Shiva |
| UNESCO Proposed | 2020 |
| UNESCO Tentative | 2020 |
Kbal Spean (ក្បាលស្ពាន - Pronounced: Kabal Spee-an) is the second of the famous Thousand Linga river sites and lies on the western spur of Phnom Kulen, on the far side of Route 67. Along with Steung Russei on Kulen itself, the 2 streams join slightly south to form the Siem Reap River which in turn flows into the main Angkor site. By carving lingas on both sandstone river beds the builders then ensured that the entirety of water in their 'Ganges reproduction', the Siem Reap River, was sanctified.
As with the Kulen site, we're not sure if Kbal Spean has precisely one thousand lingas, as claimed by Suryavarman I, but it does also feature several carvings including 2 Vishnu on Antara scenes and a pair of Shiva and Uma on Nandi reliefs.
The site has an attractive forest setting, sees fewer visitors than Kulen (where the waterfall and Preak Ang Thom add to the draw) and requires a short walk from the parking area. Unlike Anlong Pong Phkay, to give it its full name, Kbal Spen entry is included with the standard Angkor ticket
Map Location
Image Gallery
Damaged Vishnu image
Lingas in the foreground with the birth of Bhrama scene on the boulder to the rear
Shiva and Uma on the sacred bull Nandi
Overview of the picturesque site
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Historic Archive
A collection of historic photographs, artist sketches, maps etc. (Please ensure that anything you do upload is free of copyright and/or you have permission from the original photographer/artist/author to share)
Nearby Sites
- Baray Banteay Srei
- C1714051
- C1714052
- C1714053
- Kbal Spean
- Kbal Toek Much
- Me Tei
- O Ta Ho
- O Ta Ho II
- Peung Preah Pram Preah Ang
- Phnom Dei Quarry
- Prasat Banteay Srei (Banteay Srei)
- Prasat Khnar Phtoul
- Prasat Phnom Dei (Banteay Srei)
- Prasat Phnom Hap
- Prasat Prei Khmang
- Prasat Sangkae (Varin)
- Prasat Ta Prohm (Svay Leu)
- Prasat Ta Ra
- Prasat Ta Reurn
- Prasat Thpong
- Trapeang Khnar Phtoul
- Trapeang Khvet
External Links
Links to additional resources such as articles, websites, videos etc.
References