Preah Khan Temple: Buddha Protected by Mucalinda
Sandstone
Preah Khan Temple: Buddha Protected by Mucalinda
CAMBODIA, Siem Reap, Angkor
A violent storm broke while the Buddha meditated following his enlightenment. Mucalinda, the Naga King, spread his seven heads to protect the Buddha. The naga heads form an irregular nimbus behind the Buddha’s head in regional statues of this event. The scale-like surface is plainly visible in the fragment that remains.
The Buddha is said to be modeled in the likeness of the Khmer King Jayavarman VII (reigned circa 1181–1220), who made Buddhism the state religion. However, while the facial features are those common to the Bayon style, others such as the curled hair, extended ear lobes, and the three lines on the neck are listed among the Buddha’s Thirty-Two Marks of Excellence. The usnisa assumes the typical Khmer cone-shaped triple tier capped by a jewel.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture N-Sr, page 837.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Lovelock, Yann and Chou, Yuan and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture N-Sr},
pages = 837,
title = {{Preah Khan Temple: Buddha Protected by Mucalinda}},
volume = 12,
year = {2016}}