KBAL SPEAN (A River of thousand Lingas)

      

This is the river sanctuary, which means the head of bridge. The river of the thousand Lingas situated at about forty kilometers of Angkor, about 9km at the north of Banteay Srei, on the road to Anglong Veng just turn left, if you see the sign of Kbal Spean National Park. We spend to walk through the trail and cliffs around 40 minutes, and then we are seeing many rocky-beds (like the mushrooms), plantations, and wildlife.


          In the year 1054 AD (967 Saka) the royal prime minister of king Suryavarman I had been constructed this area as a thousand Lingas sanctuary and then in 1059 AD king Udayatidyavarman II visited this place and then consecrated the millennium Lingas to Devaraja. At that time the inscription noted that the ruler built one large golden Linga, and this sanctuary was so importance for Brahmin priests and people, they could cleanse themselves to exorcise evil or bad luck. In the 13th century, it became holiest and more populated area for Brahmins, they went to arrange other ceremonies, like the water ablution festival and anyways worshipped to the Lingas, because in former time it is represented the Mount Meru (Himalayas), which provided the holy water to Angkor area.