Prasat Phimai and Prasat Phnom Rung are the two most important Khmer sanctuaries in what is today north eastern Thailand (I-san). They signify Khmer influence over the area during the 9th-13 centuries, before the Tai kingdom of Sukhothai established hegemony over the area. Their presence is not only a reminder of the vast expanse of the Khmer empire at its zenith, it also provides concrete evidence of Indian influence which spread over Thailand via Angkor, as opposed to Indian influence over Thailand which came via the Mon-Dharavati culture. As such, they should illustrate what Wolters calls ‘relocalisation’, when a local culture after receiving a foreign religion spreads it to other areas. It should be remembered, however, that although the images found in the Khmer sites in Thailand were an integral part of the Khmer empire; they do not exhibit any pre-Khmer local aspects.
Phimai (Bhimapura, Vimaya)
Phimai is linked to the Mahidharapura dynasty, which is native to the valley of the Mun river. This dynasty usurped the throne of Angkor and produced some of the most powerful Khmer rulers, including Suryavarman II and Jayavarman VII. A statue of Jayavarman VII, originally found in a shrine in the Phimai, is now at the Phimai National Museum.Phimai is noted for its syncretism, combining Hindu and Buddhist images. It is the only Khmer sanctuary to have Mahayana tantric Buddhist imagery. The Buddhist imagery sits uneasily with the Hindu reliefs.
The tantric element at Phimai is represented by Trailokyavijaya, a Bodhisvatta with three heads and eight arms, dancing on corpses, who was supposed to have tried to convert Shiva to Buddhism. But the identification with Tailokyavijaya has not been accepted by all.
Phimai is a prime example of what I call complex localisation, when two foreign religions are combined at the recipient’s end. This could mean two different stages of its development.
A lintel in Phimai depicts the construction of causeway to Lanka by the monkey army. The lower part of the lintel shows sea animals moving about. Roveda suggests that the animals could be attacking the causeway in order to destroy it. If so, then it will be a Thai localisation of the Ramayana, as the attack is found in the Thai Ramkien, but not in the Indian Ramayana.
The temple of Phimai is on a north-south axis, with its main opening to the South, unusual in Khmer shrines. This might have been due to the need for the sanctuary to face the royal capital of Angkor, which underscores the political significance of Khmer religious shrines. But Claude Jacques suggests that this was due to the need to face the ancestor’s direction, since the temple may have been constructed at the site of the relics of the king’s dynasty.
Phnom Rung
Phnom Rung (10-12 Century AD) was linked to the Mahidharapura dynasty which is native to the area. The first cousin of Suryavarman II, Narendraditya, took retirement there. He was reputably a great warrior, who might have ruled in this part of the Khmer empire.
Phnom Rung is a Hindu shrine, with images from Hinduism, especially Vishnu, Shiva and tales of Ramayana.
A relief on the West side of the main sanctuary (left image), depicting Sita on a chariot in the battlefield looking at the severed heads of Ram and Laxman (a trick by Ravana to persuade Sita that the two are dead) is a classic example of localisation. The chariot resembles a Khmer prang, perhaps of the Phnom Rung itself, according to Roveda. Could it be that the design of the chariot glorifies Khmer craftsmanship by associating it with the great epic Ramayana?
This image of Vishnu Ananta (here leaning on a dragon, rather than a snake, example of localisation or syncretism with Chinese art?) was stolen before restoration began in 1960s. It was on loan to the Art Institute of Chicago and was returned to the temple in 1988)
A real highlight of Phnom Rung is the relief of the Khmer "deflowering" ceremony (left and below left). This used to be a local custom of the Angkor period (described in Chinese visitor to late 12th century Angkor, Zhou Daguan’s, The Customs of Cambodia. This is the only relief illustration that I have seen in Khmer temples. 
The ceremony is performed by a priest, who accompanies the girl in a procession. The actual deflowering is performed using a stone lingam. The girls are between 7-13 years old. The blood from the deflowering was supposed to be tasted by the parents. The girls is taken to the priest’s house in a palanquin in a small evening procession. She stays in the priests house, and if her parents do not take her back, she belongs to the priest)
(Amitav Acharya, 7 April 2007)
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