Introducing Ku Phra Koh Na
Around 60km southeast of Roi Et town are the minor ruins of Ku Phra Koh Na (admission free; daylight hours), an 11th-century Khmer shrine. The monument comprises three brick prang facing east from a sandstone pediment surrounded by a sandstone-slab wall that once had four gates. The middle prang was replastered in 1928 and Buddha niches were added. A Buddha footprint shrine, added to the front of this prang, is adorned with the Khmer monument’s original Baphuon-style naga sculptures. The two other prang have been restored (though they still look like they might tumble over any time) but retain their original forms. The northern prang has a reclining Narai (Vishnu) lintel over one door and a Ramayana relief on the inside gable. The ruins themselves are neither impressive nor well restored, but it’s interesting to see how they’ve been incorporated into the modern temple. And if that doesn’t thrill you, spend your time watching the hundreds of monkeys that live here; they are part of the everyday fabric of the grounds.
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Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
