Prasat Kok Roka (Kampong Thom)
| Native Name | ប្រាសាទគោករកា |
|---|---|
| Alternative name | Tuol Preah Theat, Prasat Kuk Roka, Prasat Preah Theat Roka |
| BA# | C0603031 |
| CISARK# | 1595 |
| IK# | 197.02 |
| K Inscription | K.155, K.435, K.482 |
| Inscr. Location | In situ, Angkor Conservancy, In situ |
| Size | Medium |
| Condition | Intact |
| Type | Temple, Arogyasala |
| Location | |
| Village | Roka |
| Commune | Srayov |
| District | Krong Stoeng Saen |
| Province | Kampong Thom |
| Country | Cambodia |
| Coordinates | 12.62531, 104.91782 |
| History | |
| Founded | 11th - 12th Century |
| Builder | Various |
| Art Style | Sambor Prei Kuk, Kampong Preah, Prei Khmeng, Khleang, Bayon |
| Material | Sandstone, Laterite |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Deity | Shiva |
Prasat Kok Roka (ប្រាសាទគោករកា - Pronounced: Pra-saht Kouk Ro-ka)
A curious and highly interesting site consisting of an intact, but leaning, sandstone tower located in the grounds of Roka Village primary and elementary schools. The structure leans heavily to the west and is often known colloquially as the Leaning Town of Kampong Thom. (Some locals point to a large, early 70s, bomb crater situated just to the northeast of the tower although the foundations are clearly constructed on sand.)
The tower has an eastern entrance and porch and features well-preserved lintels above the south and north false doors. 2 additional intact lintels, as well as linga plinths, a lotus form tower pinnacle and inscribed steles lie on the ground in front of the shrine while a damaged lintel and octagonal colonette section can be seen in the tower's interior. (An additional lintel, seen on older photos, is no longer in situ.)
Furthermore, the lintels and inscriptions all date from different periods creating a miniature, alfresco museum feel but making dating highly problematic. The overall structure appears to be in a classic Suryavarman I style and the north lintel also demonstrates a late Khleang art style. A reused lintel above the south door is in a Prei Khmeng style as was the now missing one. The broken, half, lintel shows a Sambor Prei Kuk-period design while a well-preserved one on the ground is Kampong Preah style. Finally, just to confuse matters, a slightly more eroded relief, also on the ground, shows early Khleang carving. (The latter features Indra and may be the missing east door one?)
Inscriptions create further confusion as, while 2 steles are dated to an early Sambor Prei Kuk, late 6th century period, the 3rd, now housed at the Angkor Conservancy, is a Jayavarman VII Sanskrit text dating to the late 12th century and referring to an arogyasala or hospital chapel. The latter is hard to argue with although it is notable that the site displays no obvious Bayon style elements whatsoever.
It isn't clear which objects were found on-site and which found nearby and deposited here. The same applies to obviously reused artefacts such as the south door lintel and the 2 6th century steles which don't necessarily originate from this specific site either.
A possible timeframe could be an early, Sambor Prei Kuk and/or Prei Khmeng shrine upgraded during the Surayvarman I period which was subsequently adapted by Jayavarman VII as an arogyasala. (It clearly wasn't purpose-built - as the lack of 12th-century features implies - and minor provincial chapels were generally laterite constructions.
The site also features a considerable number of laterite blocks that could have corresponded to an enclosure wall and an eastern causeway with man-made ponds can be seen. (Substantial recent work on the school has destroyed some traces of the latter.)
A very puzzling site but one that manages to include no less than 600 years of Angkor and pre-Angkorian history within and around a single small tower.
Map Location
Image Gallery
Leaning tower
Inscription
Lintel in situ
Leaning tower
Lintel in situ
Lintel
Lintel
Overview of tower from the south
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Historic Archive
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Nearby Sites
- C0603052
- C0603069
- C0603071
- Prasat Kok Roka (Kampong Thom)
- Trapeang Veng (Stoeng Saen)
- Tuol Amprong
- Tuol Ballangk (Roka)
- Tuol Boeng Ku
- Tuol Damrei Sor
- Tuol Daun Sao
- Tuol Kansaeng Sot
- Tuol Kdang
- Tuol Kok Bas
- Tuol Kok Tnaot
- Tuol Phlong
- Tuol Pongruos
- Tuol Ta Tun
- Tuol Thom
- Tuol Trabaek Prei
- Tuol Vihear (Stoeng Saen)
External Links
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References