Eastern Mebon Temple

• Date: 952 A.D.

• Reign of construction: Rajendravarman II (Çivaloka) 944-967

• Cult: Brahmanism (Çivaït temple)

• Clearance work: H. Marchal and M. Glaize 1935-1939

• Art Style: Pre Rup    

Eastern Mebon is more than 15 years older than the Pre Rup, it looks like a reproduction. The temple was built on an island in the middle of the artificial lake (Eastern Baray: 7 km by 1800m) created by Yaçovarman I. The general arrangement is the same but the whole is of more modest proportions and the base of the quincunx of towers is lower.

The platform supporting the five towers is a square of more than 30m per side, mounted on a base sandstone 2.30m high. The central tower stands on a base 1.25m high.

The towers sheltered the divine images representing the parents of Rajendravarman and other ancestors: Çiva Linga Rajendreçvara in the central sanctuary. We learn this fact from the inscriptions on the towers and other inscriptions tell us that these edifices were covered with plaster.

The numerous round holes were meant to hold up some metal covering to hold the plaster. In the middle of the lintels can be seen:

• Indra on the triple-head elephant (East) God of clouds and storms and lightning and the Guardian of the East direction.

• Kubera - the God of wealth and prosperity - the guardian of the North direction.

• Varuna - the God of rain and water, the Guardian of the west direction.

• Yama - God of the dead, judge of the dead; the guardian of the South direction.

The lower tier is about 100m each side; the brick towers for installing Lingas. On the corners there are 5 edifieces resembling the libraries. The surrounding wall is about 60m and it is crounded by a coping in the shape of a roof .

A fine inscription which gives the date of the monument as 952. Therefore, it took at least five years to build the temple, for other inscription mentions it in