PRASAT KRACHAP

Prasat Krachap is located in the northeast corner of the Rahal, near the axis of its northern dyke. It faces west, thus following the unusual slant of the Rahal itself. It consists of a quincunx of five towers, the central one distinctly higher than the other four. The Prasat Krachap has two enclosures: a simple outer one with entrance pavilions east and west which has vanished, seemingly because they had been built of perishable material. The inner enclosure is a quite different matter. There are 38 inscriptions, a thousand lines of script listing the names and occupations of temple servants called in from the multitude of villages dotting the empire. One significant inscription bears the date 928 C.E., suggesting that abundant donations by the people had been made to mark the king's accession to the supreme throne. Another record is the name of the god: Tribhuvanadeva, ossibly a name for Vishnu rather than Shiva, not to be confused with the Tribhu- vaneshvara of Prasat Thom. It also mentions Jayavarman IV as a donor, certainly the most eminent but by no means the only provider of such largesse. According to the looter inside the perimeter of Prasat Krachap, there were 13 statues stolen and three of them were located inside the central brick tower housed of Shiva-Skanda, Skanda on peacock, reclining Vishnu, and Ardhanarishvara statues.