Rajendra Chola I could scarcely have imagined that the millennial year of his Southeast Asian campaigns would be celebrated with such grandeur at his capital, Gangaikonda Cholapuram (it even saw Prime Minister Modi participating in the festivities). Nor could his contemporary and ally, Khmer King Suryavarman I, have foreseen that the monumental temple he commissioned at Preah Vihear in Cambodia would someday become a symbol of contested heritage.
The 11th century temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, has been the centre of conflict for over a century, with Thailand and Cambodia fighting over its ownership. In the past, the International Court of Justice has ruled in favour of Cambodia. The temple has drawn international attention in recent days following attacks on its complex. While a ceasefire has been reached after days of intense clashes, irreparable loss to cultural heritage remains a serious concern.
A masterpiece of Khmer architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is perched atop a cliff in the forested Dângrêk mountain range, which forms a natural border between Cambodia and Thailand. The temple is built across multiple levels, and features five gopurams (entrance towers) that rise from the lowest elevation to the highest, connected by causeways and stairways. The sanctum sanctorum is located at an elevation of 525 metres. Each level unfolds in a seamless architectural sequence, with the gopurams adorned with ornate pediments and lintels.
Preah Vihear is perched atop a cliff in the forested Dângrêk mountain range
| Photo Credit:
Sherin Someetharan
The Tamil connection
The temple’s deep historical and cultural ties to the Tamil region are not well-known. It was built over a period of 300 years, with several kings contributing to its construction, but the present structure is largely attributed to Suryavarman I. It was completed under the reign of Suryavarman II, who built Angkor Wat.
Inscriptions dating to around 1020 CE reveal that Suryavarman I gifted Rajendra Chola I a chariot, seeking his support and protection against threats from the Tambralinga kingdom and the Srivijaya king Sangrama Vijayatunggavarman. In 1025 CE, Rajendra Chola I launched his famed naval expedition against the Srivijaya kingdom, which included Kedah (Kadaram) earning him the title ‘Kadaram Kondan’ (conqueror of Kadaram).
Even iconographically, the temple features elements that reflect a Tamil connection. The image of the dancing Shiva, Nataraja, central to Tamil Saiva traditions, is a common motif in Chola art. In temple reliefs, Nataraja is depicted alongside musicians, with the skeletal figure of Karaikkal Ammaiyar at his feet.
Pediment of Nataraja at the sanctum’s entrance
| Photo Credit:
Sherin Someetharan
Ammaiyar lived in the 6th century and is considered to be the earliest of the Nayanmars (poet-saints) devoted to Shiva. Her hymns on Shiva preceded those of others such as Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar. In her hymns, she expressed her desire to be at the feet of the dancing Shiva, which is iconographically depicted in many Chola temples, including the Peruvudaiyar temples of Rajaraja I at Thanjavur and Rajendra I at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
At Preah Vihear, this motif is engraved on the pediment above the northern entrance to the sanctum sanctorum. To his left is a musician with a percussion instrument and, to the right, at his feet, lies what appears to be a weathered figure of Ammaiyar. The positioning mirrors Chola temples’ iconography. Being placed at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum highlights the reverence accorded to Ammaiyar.
This isn’t an isolated instance. Temples restored or expanded by Suryavarman I — Banteay Srei, Phnom Chisor, Vat Ek, and Vat Baset — feature this motif. An inscription at Preah Vihear also notes that a golden Nataraja was gifted to the temple by Divakarapandita, the spiritual guru of Suryavarman II.
A blind doorway with ornated pediment
| Photo Credit:
Sherin Someetharan
Vaishnava motifs and Pallava influence
The Khmer kings were known for their religious syncretism. Their temples often integrate elements of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and even Buddhism. Preah Vihear, though dedicated to Shiva, has themes of Vaishnavism on its lintels and pediments. For instance, the Paarkadal scene (churning of the ocean of milk) depicts the tug-of-war between the devas and asuras churning the paarkdal to extract amritham (nectar). Seen in Cambodian temples, including Angkor Wat, the motif is rarely seen in Indian temple art. The scene is, however, depicted in the Kailasanathar temple and Vaikunda Perumal temple in Kanchipuram, highlighting its significance as a cherished Pallava theme.
The pediment depicting the Paarkadal scene
| Photo Credit:
Sherin Someetharan
At Preah Vihear, this scene is intricately carved on the southern doorway pediment of Gopuram IV. The lintel below has Vishnu reclining on Ananta, the serpent, a feature seen in Cambodian temples since the 7th century. This motif of the reclining deity is a familiar one across Tamil temples — from those in Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram in the north to Srirangam in the centre, to the Padmanabhaswamy temple in the extreme south.
On the eastern doorway lintel of the same gopuram is Krishna dancing on the serpent Kaliya (Kalinga Narthana Krishna). The temple also features reliefs of Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana, Vishnu on Garuda, and the guardian lions — motifs reflecting influences from the Pallava iconographic traditions.
A lintel carving of Krishna dancing on Kaliya
| Photo Credit:
Sherin Someetharan
As we celebrate the 1,000th year of Rajendra Chola I and his legacy, these connections merit attention. The parallel developments at the Preah Vihear temple during the same historical period make it all the more vital to recognise the deep historical ties between the Tamil region and Southeast Asia — two cultures that have, for centuries, shared heritage and produced some of the world’s greatest architectural and artistic masterpieces.
The writer is an IRS officer based in Chennai.
Published – August 22, 2025 07:07 am IST
