Protecting the Protector of Phimai

Following his personal approach of art history, the author explores the ​‘political and ideological’ contentsof statuary and architecture at the 12th century Buddhist temple of Phimai, nowadays in Thailand.

“In the eleventh century, an inscription appeared that made clear reference to the function of Buddhist Tantric images as political protectors of the Khmer kingdom. A case in point is the recently discovered Sab Bak inscription (dated 1066 c.E.), which vividly states: ‘[T]he images ofVrah Buddhalokesvara were installed by the Venerable Sristyavarman, who had supernatural power, in the past, on Abhayagiri, with the intention that Java not attack Kambuja [Sruk Khmer]. Later on, the nine images deteriorated. The venerable teacher by the name of Dharanindrapura has renovated these deteriorated images and reinstalled them once again. In this way, they became free from harm. Indeed, his pupil, VrahAcharyyaDhanu, has installed these images in the year 988 [saka] which is in the reign of His Majesty King Udayadityavarmandeva. May he live long and remain powerful for the rest of his reign’.” 

In closing, the author states that Phimai was mainly organized to express ​‘the symbolic power relation between sacred image, patronage, and kingship’, and ​‘it is probable that the five ​“narratable” episodes from the Ramayana at Phimai are present in order to reinforce and to further underscore this political agenda.’