Buri Ram: Prasat Phanom Rung unveils its unique spectacle

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Prasat Phanom Rung unveils its unique spectacle

By Prasert Thepsri 
The Nation

 

Photo by Prasert Thepsri // Nation photo

 

A grand dance is held at the Phanom Rung National Park as a part of the three-day festival inviting people to visit the Prasat Phanom Rung in Buri Ram province.

 

The festival, which kicked off last Sunday, featured light-and-sound shows plus a fair selling various fares and food. 

 

Prasat Phanom Rung is an ancient complex and only a few times each year can one see the sun through all 15 doors of this castle during sunrise and sunset. For sunrise, the phenomenon usually runs from April 3 and 5, and again from September 8 to 10. Visitors can also witness the phenomenon during sunset between March 5 and 7, and October 5 and 7.

 

There is a widely held superstition that those who witness this amazing phenomenon at the Phanom Rung Castle will enjoy good luck.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30367310

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-04-08

[Kerryd]

Very nice site. Last time I was there was April 2017 (long after the "sunrise/sunset" event noted in the article above - which I am only just now learning about).
Public Album: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.dunn.9461/media_set?set=a.10154750267544220&type=3

Phanom Rung was built on top of a small mountain which may have helped with it's preservation. It also means that once you get to the parking area, there are still a whole bunch of steps and stairs to climb. Nothing too strenuous (for most people) though.

 

This site and Phimai (just north of Nakhon Ratchasima) are 2 of the best Angkor era sites in Thailand. If you are into that kind of thing, the area around Phanom Rung has numerous other sites in close proximity like Muang Tam.
Public Album: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.dunn.9461/media_set?set=a.10154750253814220&type=3

There are a lot of smaller temples and what I assume to be shrines/monuments in the area as well. This area is (was) right on the "Angkor Highway" that, at one time, lead from Angkor Wat to Phimai.

Now that I have some dates I will probably make another trip to Phanom Rung and see if I can catch the sunrise one day.

[Jip99]

Just now, Kerryd said:

Very nice site. Last time I was there was April 2017 (long after the "sunrise/sunset" event noted in the article above - which I am only just now learning about).
Public Album: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.dunn.9461/media_set?set=a.10154750267544220&type=3

Phanom Rung was built on top of a small mountain which may have helped with it's preservation. It also means that once you get to the parking area, there are still a whole bunch of steps and stairs to climb. Nothing too strenuous (for most people) though.

 

This site and Phimai (just north of Nakhon Ratchasima) are 2 of the best Angkor era sites in Thailand. If you are into that kind of thing, the area around Phanom Rung has numerous other sites in close proximity like Muang Tam.
Public Album: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.dunn.9461/media_set?set=a.10154750253814220&type=3

There are a lot of smaller temples and what I assume to be shrines/monuments in the area as well. This area is (was) right on the "Angkor Highway" that, at one time, lead from Angkor Wat to Phimai.

Now that I have some dates I will probably make another trip to Phanom Rung and see if I can catch the sunrise one day.

 

 

You can take the higher car park which puts you virtually on the level of the temple.

 

You can see my house from there ????

 

Draw a line from Phimai to Angkor Wat and it will go through Phanom Rung...... not just the Romans who knew how to build straight roads.

 

 

 

This one is quite an interesting read:-

 

http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/2011/JSS_100_0o_Denes_MappingLivingHeritageAtThePhanomRungHistoricalPark.pdf

[PETERTHEEATER]

There is a widely held superstition that those who witness this amazing phenomenon at the Phanom Rung Castle will enjoy good luck.

 

I witnessed it ten years ago and during the descent of the steps fell and broke an ankle......

[akirasan]

On 4/8/2019 at 1:41 PM, PETERTHEEATER said:

There is a widely held superstition that those who witness this amazing phenomenon at the Phanom Rung Castle will enjoy good luck.

 

I witnessed it ten years ago and during the descent of the steps fell and broke an ankle......

Yeah I dunno about this 'good luck' business here. I did the morning offerings to the monks a few years back because I had a fight that day that I was nervous about and ended up breaking my sternum. 

[katana]

Some nice traditional Thai dancing and costumes at the festival this year. Looks like a good spectacle for any budding photographers and videographers: