Prasat Huai Khaen
| Native Name | ปราสาทห้วยแคน, ប្រាសាទហួយកែន |
|---|---|
| Alternative name | Prasat Huay Khaen |
| BA# | T30062 |
| CISARK# | 7573 |
| Size | Medium |
| Condition | Intact |
| Type | Temple, Dharmasala |
| Location | |
| Commune | Huai Khaen |
| District | Huai Thalaeng |
| Province | Nakhon Ratchasima |
| Country | Thailand |
| Coordinates | 14.98019, 102.71340 |
| History | |
| Founded | Late 12th Century |
| Builder | Jayavarman VII |
| Art Style | Bayon |
| Material | Laterite, Sandstone |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Deity | Lokeshavara |
| Year/s Restored | Various |
Prasat Huai Khaen (ปราสาทห้วยแคน - Pronounced: Pra-saht Hoo-ay Ken)
One of the dharmasalas commissioned by Jayavarman VII on the ancient route between Phimai, (Vimayapura), and the capital at Angkor. According to the Prasat Preah Khan (Siem Reap) inscription K.908, a total of seventeen such sites were constructed along the length of the route - a possible nine of which are located in what is today Thailand. These include (Prasat) Ku Sila and Huai Khaen in Nakhon Ratchasima Province with an additional six situated in Buriram and Surin leading up to Prasat Ta Muen which is positioned just inside Thailand at the point where a pass leads across the Dandrek Hills onto the north Cambodian plain.
The lower section of the structure has been restored by the TFAD and is now largely intact with just the upper courses and tower now missing. The site conforms to a standard dharmasala layout of a main shrine featuring an eastern door as well as a rectangular hall or mandapa to the east and windows (in this case just the one) on the southern wall only. In contrast to arogyasalas these buildings were often solitary structures and 'libraries', enclosing walls, gopuras etc were not intrinsic parts of the sanctuaries.
The precise purpose of these buildings is a matter of debate with dharmasala generally used to mean a rest-house for travellers, (similar to a caravanserai), although they are also often referred to as 'fire temples'. We'd be inclined to think that maintaining the sacred fire took precedence over travellers' comfort particularly since voyagers along the route could probably have made convenient overnight stops in any roadside village in all but the remotest regions. (See also the importance of fire shrines in modern-day Hindu culture.)
The characteristic Bayon period dharmasalas are readily identified although this route certainly saw regular traffic from the late 10th-early 11th century onwards and similar structures from both Khleang and Angkor Wat periods are likely to have existed, albeit in less easily identifiable forms.
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