Title Thumbnail: Prasat Muang Tam taken from the Northwest of the castle. In the afternoon of November 22, 2020, as suggested by a guide who lectures to tourists that this is the most beautiful spot, Hero Image: It is the lintel of the eastern gopura, to the left of the castle is a figure of a person, assumed to be Indra, sitting on the knee (Maharajlilasana) above Phra Kala or the face of Kala, which Indra is the deity that heals the East, taken on November 22, 2020.
027. Prasat Muang Tam - Buriram01, 02.
First revision: Nov.21, 2020
Last change: Nov.23, 2020
Prasat Muang Tam is Hindu religious santuary dedicated to the God Shiva. The main sanctuary faces to the East and comprises the following major structures.
1. The boundary wall and archways. This rectangular wall measures 120 * 127 metres and high 2.70 metres. It was made of Laterite and surrounds the sanctuary. The entrances in the center of each wall align with the entrances to the gallery.
2. Four L-shaped ponds. There are four L-shaped ponds that surrounds the gallery. It was lined with steps of laterite leading to the bottom. The edge of each pond was carved with the bodies of Naga with five-headed at the corner. These ponds have been used for the religious ceremonies.
3. Gallery. This is a long narrow, corridor shaped building made of sandstone and measuring about 2 metres a wide which surrounds the group of towers. In the center are archways which stand symmetrically opposite the archways of the boundary wall.
4. Group of Brick Towers. There are five brick towers constructed on a laterite base forming two rows. Three of the towers are in the front row while two are in the back row. The principal tower, which is the largest, stand in the central position in the front row. It is now quite dilapidated and only the base remains. Of the remaining towers four are still in good condition.
5. Library. These two small rectangular-shaped buildings were made of brick and stand on a laterite base. They are located to the front of the group of towers and are believed to have been used to store sacred texts or religious manuscripts. They could also have been used to enshrine religious images.
6. Baray. The Baray is a large reservoir. It is situated to the North of Prasat Muang Tam. It measures 510 * 1,090 metres and is 3 metres deep. There are five steps down to the reservoir. The Baray represents the ocean surrounding Mt. Meru, the Worls of the Hindu Gods.
Prasat Muang Tam, took picture from the South-west corner of the Prasat, at the afternoon of November 22, 2020.
Until 1987, the Fine Arts Department commenced reconstruction of Muang Tam, They used the Anastylosis technique during the restoration.
Sources, Vocabulary, and Narratives:
01. Adjusted from. the sign board at Prasat Muang Tam Historical Park, Buriram, Thailand, November, 22, 2020.
