Baphuon - The Pyramid Temple in Angkor

The grandeur of Baphuon as described above by Zhou Daguan is unrecognizable today because of the poor condition of the temple. The French were in the process of restoring this temple when they were forced leave Angkor in 1972 because of war. Baphuon is situated inside the royal city of Angkor Thom but dates from the eleventh century and was built before the city was established. An interesting feature of Baphuon are the bas-reliefs which are scenes carved in small squares.

Unfortunately few of these are visible because of the poor state of the temple. The narrative themes are realistic depictions of daily life and forest scenes.

Below is the glimpse of Baphuon Temple in 360^o viewing:

This magnificent temple was built by King Udayadityavarman II in the middle of the 11th century, before the city of Angkor Thom was established. 

Originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, it was converted into a Buddhist temple in the late 15th Century, and a huge reclining Buddha (nine meters tall by 70 meters long) was added to the west side of the temple’s second level around this time.

Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Baphuon was built on a too-soft foundation of sandy soil which proved to be inadequate for such an immense structure. 

This shaky foundation caused the temple to be unstable for most of its history, and it is very likely that large portions had already collapsed by the time it was converted to a Buddhist temple. 

The stones from the collapsed portion of the structure were utilized in the creation of the reclining Buddha, which is one of the largest in Southeast Asia.

By the early 20th century, Baphuon was on the verge of complete collapse. A massive restoration project began in the 1960s, which involved dismantling the temple stone by stone, reinforcing the foundation, and then re-assembling the structure. 

300,000 blocks of stone were labelled and numbered, and carefully arranged in the 10 hectares surrounding the temple site, waiting to be put back together. Unfortunately, the project was abandoned when civil war broke out in 1970, and the plans identifying the stones’ intended location were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.

A second restoration project, which came to be known as the largest three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle in the world, was launched in 1996 under the guidance of the architect Pascal Royère. Modern technology greatly aided in the process, but it still took 16 years to complete the puzzle. 

The lighter colored stones are the restored pieces. We are truly fortunate to be able to visit this remarkable site and owe a debt of gratitude to the hundreds of workers responsible for reconstructing this magnificent temple.

The Baphuon temple is the prototype for the Baphuon style of design which covers every available surface with intricate carvings. These carvings include both realistic and fanciful depictions of lotus flowers, wild animals, and hunters, devata figures, and men in battle. 

There are also carvings with indirect references to Hindu mythology and scenes illustrating epic poems such as the Ramayana. The sandstone temple-mountain symbolically represents the sacred five-peaked Mount Meru important in both Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. 

There are three enclosures in the Baphuon temple complex, and the main structure is situated on a high base. With the bronze tower that was part of the original structure it would have been roughly 50 meters high, but without this tower it stands 34 meters tall.

The main entrance facing East is a large structure of gopuras connected by galleries. It reminds of the main entrance of Angkor Wat. A number of devata statues decorate the gate. Behind the gate is a sandstone walkway, a little above ground level. 

About halfway the walkway, between the temple and the entrance gate is a pavilion, its walls decorated with panels containing several depictions of animals, hunters, and warriors. 

On the South end of the walkway is a large pool. On the Western side of the Baphuon is another entrance gate and an enormous reclining Buddha image that was build centuries later, but which was never completed.

The walkway from the Eastern gate leads to the third enclosure, that has an entrance gate on all four sides. The enclosure was surrounded by galleries, most of which have disappeared. In the 15th century the stones were used to construct the giant reclining Buddha on the West end of the temple.

Inside the third enclosure past the East entrance gopura are the remains of two library buildings with vestibules on all sides.

The second enclosure has four entrance gopuras that are decorated with several depictions from Hindu mythology, including scenes from the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as flower patterns, animals, warriors fighting battles and devata figures.

The top of the structure is a platform measuring 42 meters long by 36 meters wide with a single sanctuary of which very little is left today. Inside was enshrined the most important linga, the representation of Shiva. The platform is surrounded by a gallery with an entrance gopura on each of its four sides.

Temple Facts

• Date: Mid 11th Century
• Religion: Hinduism
• Built By: Udayadityavarman II
• Dedicated To: Shiva
• Style: Temple Mountain (Baphuon)
• Best Time to Visit: Anytime, but early morning is coolest.
• Length of Visit: 30 – 60 minutes
• Temple Pass: Required (included in the Angkor Complex pass)

Location

Baphuon is located inside Angkor Thom at the end of a 225m causeway which starts at the end of the Terrace of the Elephants. It’s situated just to the north of Bayon temple and south of Phimeanakas.

Check the temple location on Google Maps as below for your reference:

Getting There

Baphuon is not far from the town and is easily accessible. Visitors use a variety of transport options with tuk tuks, taxis, and bicycle being the most popular.

Many tour groups also include Baphuon on the their itineraries, so you’ll often find many minivans and minibuses nearby.

To reach the temple, you can head north from Bayon temple for about 100m and then walk along the 225m causeway to the entrance of Baphuon.

Baphuon Temple Tours

Baphuon is often included on the Small Angkor Wat Circuit Tour. Most commonly, it’s visited when you’ve just finished at Bayon. You’ll start with the Terrace of the Elephants before walking along the 225m causeway.

On the way back, you’ll probably stop at the Terrace of the Leper King and explore other nearby temples including Phimeanakas.

Accommodation

Baphuon is located inside Angkor Thom and as such, you won’t find any accommodation nearby. Many guests will find a hotel in Siem Reap and then make the short journey to Angkor Thom to visit the temples here.

Here is our travel guide for Siem Reap

Why Visit Baphuon?

Actually, many guests tend to overlook Baphuon. This makes it a perfect place to explore because you can escape the large crowds which visit the other temples such as Bayon and Angkor Wat.

Most overlook this temple because they want to spend more time on their tour exploring the big three temples (Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Prohm). There is also a long 225m walk which doesn’t offer any protection from the sun.

However, the view from the top of the temple and the relative peace and quiet make this an excellent choice for visitors.