Prasat Ban Nong Samet
| Native Name | ปราสาทบ้านหนองเสม็ด, ប្រាសាទបាណន់សាម៉េត |
|---|---|
| Alternative name | Khao Chong Tako, Prasat Na Ha |
| BA# | T31277 |
| K Inscription | K.??? |
| Inscr. Location | Wat Ban Nong Samet |
| Size | Small |
| Condition | Ruin |
| Type | Temple |
| Location | |
| Commune | Lam Nang Rong |
| District | Non Din Daeng |
| Province | Buriram |
| Country | Thailand |
| Coordinates | 14.16096, 102.65735 |
| History | |
| Founded | Late 6th - Early 7th Century |
| Builder | Mahendravarman I |
| Art Style | Thala Borivat, (?) |
| Material | Brick, Laterite, Sandstone |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Deity | Shiva |
| Verification | GPS |
Prasat Ban Nong Samet (ปราสาทบ้านหนองเสม็ด - Pronounced: Pra-saht Baan Nawng Sa-met)
Brick mound site located southwest of the eponymously named village in the region of Chong Tako Pass, close to the Sa Kaeo-Buriram border. (1) Although a remote area the village does lie close to the west side of Highway 121 which today traverses the forested pass. The mound is estimated to be some 10m x 20m and 2m in height, reveals numerous brick and sandstone fragments but, according to recent photos we've seen, is very overgrown and difficult to discern. No decorative elements are visible and signs of looting are evident. (Locals point out that the ruin has been in such a condition for as long as they can remember.)
Fortuitously though, an inscribed, sandstone stele, was recently unearthed in the vicinity of the tuol site, (in 2020 we believe), and is today housed in a small, adjacent shrine. (2) The eroded stele has been translated and was revealed to be another of several similar Mahendravarman inscriptions, dating to the late 6th century, found in various parts of northeast Thailand. While it may be a reasonable guess to assign the ruined shrine a similar date this is as yet unproven. (Furthermore, the quantity of visible sandstone fragments in the mound suggests it may even have been a stone rather than a brick sanctuary.)
What the site does prove is that this important pass, connecting the numerous ancient sites in Sa Kaeo and further south in Chanthaburi Province to Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima and points north, has been a strategic communications route since early times. Additionally, should the stele prove to be in its original position, it also demonstrates the extent of Mahendravarman's forays into what is today Thailand during the early Chenla period.
(1) So close that we have come across GPS coordinates which place the site in both Sa Kaeo and Buriram Provinces. However, the ruins are reported to lie on the edge of the forest, just southwest of the village and northeast of the border.
(2) Update; the stele is at present housed in a shrine in Wat Ban Nong Samet.
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