Conny Waters – MessageToEagle.com – Researchers are conducting research on a large Makara animal statue carved on a rock at the Phnom Kulen National Park in Siem Reap province’s Svay Loeu district.
Ancient statue found carved in rock in Siem Reap. image credit: Khmer Post
The statue was made of sandstone during the sixth century and the body was broken into pieces, noting that officials found 13 pieces of the body nearby the site, according to Siem Reap Provincial Department of Environment director Sun Kong.
Makara is a legendary sea-creature in Hindu mythology. In Hindu astrology, Makara is equivalent to the Zodiac sign Capricorn. The animal appears as the vahana (vehicle) of the river goddess Ganga, Narmada and of the sea god Varuna.
In ancient beliefs Makara sea-creatures were considered guardians of gateways and thresholds, protecting throne rooms as well as entryways to temples; it is the most commonly recurring creature in Hindu and Buddhist temple iconography, and also frequently appears as a Gargoyle.
Khmer Post writes that the head portion of the broken statue was found by a local resident, Chhim Samrithy, 38, a craftsman from the province, who spotted the statue while searching for bamboo.
“I usually walk in the forest to look for some unique and sacred objects and suddenly spotted this rare statue,” he said. “After seeing it, I took environmental officials and archaeologists to the site and also helped to find some of the missing pieces of the statue.”
“According to the experts, this Makara animal statue is one that we have never seen before. It is approximately 2.14 meters in length and about 0.97 meters high,” Mr. Kong said.
Image credit: Khmer Post
“We have not yet moved the body parts or excavated the head from the site and have told park rangers in the area to guard it in order for officials from relevant ministries and institutions to come and study in detail about the site’s history and reconstruct the pieces.”
He noted that experts have not found a foundation of any temple at the site and believe it was just carved out on the rock.
Further archaeological research related to the statue will be continued
Written by Conny Waters – MessageToEagle.com – AncientPages.com Staff Writer