Prasat Muang Singh Shiva, Thailand

Address

Prasat Muang Singh Shiva, Muang Singh, Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi 71150, Thailand

Diety

Avalokiteshvara (Shiva )

Introduction

Mueang Sing is located in Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. Muang Singh, Western border of the Khmer in Thailand. At the height of its power, the vast Khmer empire stretched out all the way West to deep into present day Kanchanaburi province in the Western part of Thailand. It protects the remains of two Khmer temples dating to the 13th and 14th centuries. Besides being a temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, Prasat Muang Singh and surrounding town most likely served as a military stronghold, to defend the Khmer empire from attacks from the West. Muang Singh, meaning “Lion city”, is completely surrounded by a laterite wall. The Khwae Noi river runs along the South end of the complex. The main temple that stands in the center of the complex was built between the 12th and 14th century in Bayon style, named after the Bayon temple in Angkor that was built around the same time.

Puranic Significance

The history of the site goes back to the period between 857 and 1157, a period when the Khmer Kingdom was flourishing. Records show that the town was abandoned until the reign of King Rama I. The name Mueang Sing first showed in the chronicles of the reign of King Rama I (1782-1809), when it was a fortified town protecting the town Kanchanaburi. In the reform of provincial administration at the end of the 19th century its status was reduced from Mueang to Tambon (commune). Khmer temple architecture, the central prang (Khmer style tower) in the inner sanctuary represents Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Hindu belief. The central prang enshrines the linga, the sacred symbol symbolizing the power of Shiva. Of another large temple, only the foundation remains. During the reign of King Rama I, the first King of the Rattanakosin era at the end of the 18th century, Muang Singh acted as a stronghold to protect the Kingdom from invasion from the West.

Century/Period/Age

13th and 14th centuries

Managed By

UNESCO world heritage site

Nearest Bus Station

Kanchanaburi

Nearest Railway Station

Tha Kilen station

Nearest Airport

Bangkok

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