Sdok Kok Thom is an 11th-century Khmer temple in present-day Thailand , located about 34 kilometres (21 mi) northeast of the Thai border town of Aranyaprathet(अ...रण्यप्रस्थ) . The temple was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
At the center of the temple is a sandstone tower, which served asthe main sanctuary, probably sheltering a linga , symbol of Shiva. The tower's door is on the east, approached by steps; the other three sides have false doors. A few meters to the northeast and southeast are two sandstone structures known as libraries, with large side windows and laterite bases. Enclosing the tower and libraries is a rectangular courtyard measuring roughly 42 by 36 meters and having galleries on all four sides. On the court's eastern side is a gopura , or gate, reflecting the temple's orientation to the east.
In various places in the temple, there is extensive carving on stone, including floral decoration, Nāga serpents and a figure that appears to be the reclining Hindu god Viṣñu .
A moat, likely representing the Hindu Sea of Creation, lies beyond each of the courtyard's four sides.An avenue leads east from the gopura. A laterite wall standing approximately 2.5 meters high and measuring 126 meters from east to west and 120 meters south to north provides additional enclosure to the entire complex. The midpoint of the eastern side of this wall has an elaborate gopura, standing on a laterite base. About 200 meters tothe east of this gopura, along a laterite-paved avenue with free-standing stone posts on either side, is a baray , or holy reservoir, measuring roughly 200 by 370 meters.
At the center of the temple is a sandstone tower, which served asthe main sanctuary, probably sheltering a linga , symbol of Shiva. The tower's door is on the east, approached by steps; the other three sides have false doors. A few meters to the northeast and southeast are two sandstone structures known as libraries, with large side windows and laterite bases. Enclosing the tower and libraries is a rectangular courtyard measuring roughly 42 by 36 meters and having galleries on all four sides. On the court's eastern side is a gopura , or gate, reflecting the temple's orientation to the east.
In various places in the temple, there is extensive carving on stone, including floral decoration, Nāga serpents and a figure that appears to be the reclining Hindu god Viṣñu .
A moat, likely representing the Hindu Sea of Creation, lies beyond each of the courtyard's four sides.An avenue leads east from the gopura. A laterite wall standing approximately 2.5 meters high and measuring 126 meters from east to west and 120 meters south to north provides additional enclosure to the entire complex. The midpoint of the eastern side of this wall has an elaborate gopura, standing on a laterite base. About 200 meters tothe east of this gopura, along a laterite-paved avenue with free-standing stone posts on either side, is a baray , or holy reservoir, measuring roughly 200 by 370 meters.