{{Infobox mountain | name = Phnom Bok | image = Phnom Bok5.JPG | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = Phnom Bok hill | elevation_m = 205 | elevation_ref = <ref>Google Earth</ref> | location = Siem Reap, Cambodia | map = Cambodia | map_caption = Location in Cambodia | map_size = | coordinates = {{coord|13|27|57|N|103|58|59|E|type:mountain}} | easiest_route = drive or hike }} {{Infobox Hindu temple | name = Phnom Bok Temple | image_upright = | nocat_wdimage = yes | alt = | caption = | map_type = Cambodia | map_caption = Location in Cambodia | coordinates = {{coord|13|27|58|N|103|58|55|E|type:landmark_region:KH|display=inline,title}} | native_name = Prasat Phnom Bok | country = Cambodia | province = Siem Reap | district = | locale = Angkor | elevation_m = 221 | deity = Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma | festivals = | architecture = Bakheng style of Khmer architecture | temple_quantity = Three | monument_quantity = | inscriptions = | year_completed = 9th–10th century | creator = King Yasovarman I (889–910 AD) | website = }} {{multiple image | align = left | image1 = Brahma Musée Guimet 1197 1.jpg | width1 = 175 | alt1 = | caption1 = Head of Brahma in sandstone from the Phnom Bok in Bakheng style now in Guimet Museum in Paris. | image2 = Vishnou Musée Guimet 22971.jpg | width2 = 148 | alt2 = | caption2 = Head of Vishnu in sandstone from the Phnom Bok in Bakheng style now in Guimet Museum in Paris. | image3 = Shiva Musée Guimet 22971.jpg | width3 = 150 | alt3 = | caption3 = Head of Shiva in sandstone from the Phnom Bok in Bakheng style now in Guimet Museum in Paris of the trimurti or trimvarite of Hindu pantheon }} {{Contains special characters|Khmer}} '''Phnom Bok''' ({{langx|km|ភ្នំបូក}}) is a hill in the northeast of Eastern Baray in Cambodia, with a prasat (temple) ({{langx|km|ប្រាសាទភ្នំបូក}}) of the same name built on it. It is one of the "trilogies of mountains", each of which has a temple with similar layout. The creation of the temple is credited to the reign of Yasovarman I (889–910)<ref name=Higham>Higham, C., 2001, The Civilization of Angkor, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, {{ISBN|9781842125847}}</ref>{{rp|65}} between 9th and 10th centuries; established after he moved his capital to Angkor and named it Yasodharapura. The two other sister temples, named after the contiguous hills, are the Phnom Bakheng and Phnom Krom.<ref name=Coedes>{{cite book|last= Coedès|first= George|authorlink= George Coedès|editor= Walter F. Vella|others= trans.Susan Brown Cowing|title= The Indianized States of Southeast Asia|year= 1968|publisher= University of Hawaii Press|isbn= 978-0-8248-0368-1}}</ref>{{rp|113}}<ref name="(Firm)1992">{{cite book|author=Lonely Planet Publications (Firm)|title=Cambodia: a travel survival kit|pages=132, 172|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=THGyAAAAIAAJ|accessdate=22 May 2011|year=1992|publisher=Lonely Planet Publications}}</ref><ref name=Angkor>{{Cite web|url=http://theangkor.net/phnom-bok|title=Phnom Bok|accessdate=22 May 2011|publisher=Theangkor.net|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425114505/http://theangkor.net/phnom-bok|archivedate=25 April 2011}}</ref>

The site of the three hills was chosen by Yashovarman I along with the Eastern Baray (where only the base of the central shrine is surviving). In the 10th century, these shrines had high religious value during the Angkorian rule.<ref name="DumarçayRoyère2001">{{cite book|author1=Jacques Dumarçay|author2=Pascal Royère|author3=Michael Smithies|title=Cambodian architecture: eighth to thirteenth centuries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tbBii4uBCvsC&pg=PA60|accessdate=22 May 2011|year=2001|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-11346-6|pages=60–62}}</ref> The temples called as part of an "architectural triad" brought about an element of experimentation in architectural style in the Angkorian period.<ref name="Ya Tai chuan tong yi shu lun tan yan tao hui lun wen ji, 2000.10.9-12">{{cite book|title=Ya Tai chuan tong yi shu lun tan yan tao hui lun wen ji, 2000.10.9–12|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hjie4g2A8N4C&pg=PA71|accessdate=22 May 2011|year=2002|publisher=National Center for Traditional Arts|isbn=978-957-01-0880-4|pages=71–}}</ref> From the astronomical references planned for three temples, out of the four noted alignments three, namely, equinox and winter and Solar Solstices could be observed from inside the western entrance of Phnom Bok hill temple, which is also known for the triple sanctuary dedicated to the Trimurti.

==Geography== thumb|right|Map Phnom Bok is the third natural hill site.<ref name="Ya2002">{{cite book|title=Ya Tai chuan tong yi shu lun tan yan tao hui lun wen ji, 2000.10.9–12|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hjie4g2A8N4C&pg=PA71|accessdate=25 May 2011|year=2002|publisher=National center for traditional arts|isbn=978-957-01-0880-4|pages=71–}}</ref> Its elevation is {{convert|221|m}}.<ref name="DumarçayRoyère2001"/> The hill is about {{convert|25|km}} northeast of Siem Reap. It is approached from the road to Banteay Srei. An eastbound road leads to Banteay Samré for another {{convert|6|km}} from whence the hill is approached through 635 wide steps leading to the top where the Phnom Bok temple is situated. From the top of this mountain, though the temple is seen mostly in ruins, the panoramic vistas seen all round are of the Tonlé Sap Lake, the Phnom Kulen to the north and vast plains of rice fields to the south.<ref name="(Firm)1992"/><ref name=Angkor/><ref name="RayBloom">{{cite book|author1=Nick Ray|author2=Greg Bloom|author3=Daniel Robinson|title=Cambodia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5UTelRMB4BAC&pg=PA188|accessdate=22 May 2011|publisher=Lonely Planet|pages=188–|id=GGKEY:ALKFLS6LY8Y}}</ref> Like Phnom Krom, Phnom Bok consists of sandstone which has a relatively high magnetic susceptibility.<ref name="Engineering geology">{{cite book|title=Engineering geology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8TIcAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=27 May 2011|year=2000|publisher=Elsevier Pub. Co.}}</ref>

==History== Yasovarman I, son of Indravarman I (his capital was at Hariharalaya), shifted the capital to Yashodarapura (the first Angkor capital meaning "The City That Bears Glory"<ref name="Vecchia2007">{{cite book|last=Vecchia|first=Stefano|title=Khmer: history and treasures of an ancient civilization|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iKM0AQAAIAAJ|accessdate=27 May 2011|year=2007|publisher=White Star|page=80}}</ref>). The temples that he built, apart from Phnom Bok in 910 AD consisted of the Lolei (893 AD), Preah Vihear (893 AD), Phnom Bakheng, the Royal temple (900 AD) and Phnom Krom (910 AD).<ref name="(Firm)1992"/><ref name="SharanPublications2003">{{cite book|author1=Mahesh Kumar Sharan|author2=Abhinav Publications|title=Studies In Sanskrit Inscriptions Of Ancient Cambodia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8B886QamMBMC&pg=PA39|accessdate=22 May 2011|date=1 June 2003|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-81-7017-006-8|pages=39–}}</ref> However, Yashovarman did not choose Phnom Bok as the capital city, near the city of Hariharalaya, as he considered it unsuitable due to its "awkward and too high" a location to mark as the centre of the city. He did not choose Phnom Krom hill either, as he considered it too close to the Tonle Sap Lake. Eventually, Phnom Bakhen of the triumvirate of hills was chosen as the capital city due its low height and large expanse of land available to establish a capital city. His objective was also to build a temple for housing a linga, which surpassed his father's Indresvara and named it as Yashodaresvara. He also named his capital as Yashodarapura, which became the first capital city of Angkor. He, however, installed the Trimurtis in the temples on the other two hills of Phnom Bok and Phnom Krom.<ref name="Cœdès1968">{{cite book|author=George Cœdès|title=The Indianized states of Southeast Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iDyJBFTdiwoC&pg=PA113|accessdate=22 May 2011|year=1968|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=978-0-8248-0368-1|pages=113–|quote=He was satisfied to construct a trimurti on each of the other two hills}}</ref> Statues of the Hindu Trimurti were found at both Phnom Bok and Phnom Krom.<ref name="Briggs1999"/>

==Architecture== Prasat Phnom Bok, rectangular in shape and attributed to the reign of Yasovarman I, is similar in design to the Phnom Krom prasat. However, while the Phnom Krom central tower is higher than the other two flanking towers, the Phnom Bok prasat has three identical sanctum towers in a row on a single terrace.<ref name="DumarçayRoyère2001"/><ref name="KanaoriTanaka2000"/><ref name="Soekmono1995">{{cite book|author=R. Soekmono|title=The Javanese Candi: function and meaning|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7cd2Ha7fT90C&pg=PA41|accessdate=22 May 2011|year=1995|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-10215-6|pages=41–}}</ref>

The temple is an Angkor monument. It is dedicated to the Trimurti of the Hindu pantheon: the Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara or Shiva. It was built in Bakheng style (893–927) and designed with individual sanctums, which have door openings to the east and west. These are raised on a foundation with a plinth made of laterite stone. Frontons of Bakheng and Phnom Bok are said to "represent heads of the entire thirty-three deities of the Hindu pantheon.<ref name="Briggs1999">{{cite book|last=Briggs|first=Lawrence Palmer|title=The ancient Khmer Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zp8MAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=27 May 2011|year=1999|publisher=White Lotus Press|isbn=978-974-8434-93-3|page=110}}</ref> There is said to be a "fine example of the head of Shiva in the Chandrasekhara form with the moon prominent on his locks" at the temple.<ref name="Sivaramamurti1977">{{cite book|last=Sivaramamurti|first=C.|title=L'Art en Inde|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WKgQAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=27 May 2011|year=1977|publisher=H. N. Abrams|isbn=978-0-8109-0630-3}}</ref> The summer solstice occurring over Phnom Bok hill temple, which had the images of Trimurtis defied in it, can be observed from the temple's western entrance.<ref name="Cœdès1968" /><ref name="KelleyMilone2011">{{cite book|last1=Kelley|first1=David H.|last2=Milone|first2=Eugene F.|last3=Aveni|first3=Anthony F. (FRW)|title=Exploring Ancient Skies: A Survey of Ancient and Cultural Astronomy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ILBuYcGASxcC&pg=PA301|accessdate=25 May 2011|date=28 February 2011|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-1-4419-7623-9|pages=301–|quote=…site bears extensive astronomical references, among which are planned locations for observation of solar and lunar alignments, and the placement and content of bas reliefs according to the movement of the Sun through the seasons. Stencil et al. (1976) found a total of 18 alignments from various positions from inside the complex. Paris (1941) had previously noted four, three of which (equinox and winter and solar solstices) are observable from jus inside the western entrance.}}</ref><ref name="Fisher2006">{{cite book|last=Fisher|first=Gordon|title=Marriage and Divorce of Astronomy and Astrology: A History of Astral Prediction from Antiquity to Newton|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A2Kxx107AQUC&pg=PA5|accessdate=27 May 2011|date=August 2006|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-4116-8326-6|page=5}}</ref>

Angkor monuments built in Angkor period architecture in Bakheng style<ref name="KanaoriTanaka2000"/> were made of sandstone and laterite but brickwork was also adopted. Laterite has been used for the walls, platforms and pavements. Greyish yellow sandstone was the main stonework used in the temples.<ref name="KanaoriTanaka2000">{{cite book|author1=Yuji Kanaori|author2=Kazuhiro Tanaka|author3=Masahiro Chigira|title=Engineering geological advances in Japan for the new millennium|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7F5aZna9n6kC&pg=PA330|accessdate=22 May 2011|date=3 November 2000|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-0-444-50505-7|pages=330–}}</ref>

Though the temple is in a good condition, there is over growth of two large frangipani (''Plumeria'') trees over the ruined temple towers. It is said that when the flowers bloom on these trees, the appearance of "some sort of extravagant haircut" is discerned.<ref name="(Firm)1992"/>

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

{{Angkorian sites}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bok, Phnom}} Category:Mountains of Cambodia Category:Hindu temples in Siem Reap province Category:Geography of Siem Reap province Category:Angkorian sites in Siem Reap province