Photography & Destination : Discover the temple of Thommanon

Thommanon is one of the two temples built during the reign of Suryavarman II (1113-1150) at Angkor. Its name is derived from the Palis words "Dhamma", meaning "Buddhist teachings" and "Nanda", equivalent to "supreme wisdom".

This small temple lies to the east of Angkor Thom's Victory Gate and to the north of Chau Say Tevoda. This ancient structure is dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. There is no real certainty, but it is likely that it was built around the time that work began on Angkor Wat.

The Vaishnavite cult was adopted in Cambodia by Jayavarman II and his son Jayavarman III. Under their reign, the Shivaite cult was included with the Vaishnavite cult in temples such as Thommanon, Beng Mealea, Chau Say Tevoda, Banteay Samre, and Angkor Wat.

The temple is just opposite Chau Say Tevoda and 500 metres east of the Victory Gate on the road to Ta Keo. In the 1960s, the temple underwent a complete restoration, funded by the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO). French archaeologists restored it and added concrete ceilings.

Thommanon is a single-tower temple with a central sanctuary facing east, crowned by a prasat, or tower. Access from the east is via a gopura, followed by a mandapa, or antechamber, before arriving at the central sanctuary.

The temple's sculptures are very well preserved and the aged sandstone provides a distinct contrast with the surrounding jungle. The architectural style of its tower is similar to that of Angkor Wat temple and nearby Chau Say Tevoda.

Thommanon is much better preserved than its neighbour Chau Say Tevoda, although they are similar in design. The reason for Thommanon's better preservation is attributed to the fact that its superstructure does not have wooden beams surrounded by stone.

Thus, the adoption of sandstone as the support for the sculptures in this temple is a more advanced technique in its architectural design compared with the other temples in the vicinity.

All the doors have sculpted pediments. The surrounding walls around the temple have all disappeared, leaving only the entrance gates to the east and west. The central tower is all that remains of the main temple.

This suggests that Thommanon and Chau Say Thavoda were linked to the central tower by a single large enclosure with large gates. The independent building separate from the main temple was probably the library.

Photographs by Gary Todd