Ku Aram
| Native Name | กู่อารัมย์, តគូអារាម |
|---|---|
| Alternative name | Wat Ku Alam, Ku Aram, Ku Khu Aram, Wat Ku Aram, Prasat Ku Ku Aram |
| BA# | T45020 |
| CISARK# | 899 |
| IK# | 360 |
| K Inscription | K.373 |
| Inscr. Location | In situ |
| Size | Medium |
| Condition | Tuol |
| Type | Temple |
| Location | |
| Commune | Muang Thung |
| District | Suwannaphum |
| Province | Roi Et |
| Country | Thailand |
| Coordinates | 15.65582, 103.86108 |
| History | |
| Founded | Late 10th - early 11th Century |
| Builder | Suryavarman I (?) |
| Art Style | Khleang |
| Material | Sandstone |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Deity | Shiva |
Ku Aram (กู่อารัมย์ - Pronounced: Koo A-lam)
An active Buddhist monastery located in the southern part of the province whose grounds house some curious sandstone vestiges. An unidentifiable, circular depression in the ground (if it was in Cambodia a bomb crater would be a good suspect) is surrounded by a collection of rectangular laterite blocks. The crater may correspond to the site of some kind of ancient well or sacred pond although various similar Khmer sites seen in Thailand are almost universally lined with laterite. Furthermore, the sandstone blocks have been placed, somewhat randomly, around the edge - rather than actually 'lining' anything - and do not give the appearance of being in situ.
The 'ku' in the name implies some kind of structure or tower - which clearly doesn't exist today - so another possibility is that the hole was the site of a former, since excavated, ruin. Perhaps looters dug into the foundations seeking artefacts and simply threw the blocks they came across to one side. Traces of a surrounding moat are reported.
Several of the blocks are large with one or two even feature beveled edges as if they formed roof sections and they certainly give the impression of having once been part of a temple structure. Additionally, the wat houses a large sandstone stele, featuring a lengthy Khmer inscription on three sides, dated to the late 10th or early 11th century. The latter could correspond to the reign of Suryavarman I, a similar period to numerous other sites in the region. We assume that the stele was unearthed on site and may of course have emerged from the aforementioned crater itself.
The wat grounds also house a pedestal and several sandstone fragments, some of which are carved, although the nature of the original structure is today impossible to discern.
Map Location
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Nearby Sites
- Ban Hin Kong
- Ban Phon Duan
- Ban Sala (At Samat)
- Ban Song Chang
- Baray Ku Phra Ko Na
- Dong Muang (Suwannaphum)
- Ku Aram
- Ku Muang Suang
- Ku Phon Duan
- Ku Phon Rakhang
- Ku Phon Wij
- Ku Phra Ko Na
- Lin Fa
- Muang Champakhan
- Muang Suang
- Noen Khan Mak
- Non Khan Mak
- Non Muang Noi (Nong Hi)
- Nong Mahia
- Phra That Bo Phan Khan
- Prasat Hin Ban Nong Khun
- Prasat Hin Kong
- Prasat Ku Ka Sing
- Sra Si Liam (Suwannaphum)
- T45049
- T45053
- Wat Phon Duan
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References