Banteay Srey : a study of the temple and its builder

Abstract

The Banteay Srey Temple was constructed in the tenth century by a royal guru (preceptor) of King Jayavarman V (968-1001 A.D.), known as Yajñavarāha. Although it is not a royal building, the quality of the art and design of this temple places it on par with many of the other great Angkorean architectural works; a position that is not matched by any other non-royal construction. This thesis argues that Banteay Srey was constructed as a showcase for the profound talents of its builder, the royal guru Yajñavarāha. The research focuses on two objectives. First, it establishes that Banteay Srey does indeed occupy a special place in Cambodian art history, showing that its design elements draw on the best existing techniques from near and far within Cambodia, harmoniously combined with innovative results of literary and religious inspiration. Second, it explores the extraordinary role and stature of Yajñavarāha, whose combination of intelligence, education, position within the court, and ultimate power were unprecedented in Angkor. He had the vision required to conceive of Banteay Srey, the means and authority needed to order its construction, and the artistic and literary knowledge necessary to design a work whose place and influence we are still coming to fully understand.