Ornate sandstone carvings on a lintel of the Banteay Srey temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This carving features a kala.

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Banteay Srei or Banteay Srey is a 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor in Cambodia. It lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km (16 mi) north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom. Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a "precious gem", or the "jewel of Khmer art." Banteay Srei is built largely of a hard red sandstone that can be carved like wood. Brick and laterite were used only for the enclosure walls and some structural elements. The temple is known for the beauty of its sandstone lintels and pediments. This particular lintel carving features a kala - a mythical creature representative of time and of the god Siva.

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Size: 4156px × 2772px
Location: Banteay Srey temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo credit: © James Spencer / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: angkor, banteay, cambodia, carving, empire, hindu, kala, khmer, lintel, reap, sandstone, shiva, siem, siva, srei, srey, temple