Last Updated on May 20, 2021
When we walked in from the Phimeanakas temple, we were trying to imagine how grand this huge viewing gallery – the Terrace of Elephants – might have looked when the Khmer empire was at its height.
According to the accounts of a Chinese diplomat, Zhou Daguan, the royal terraces comprising of the Terrace of Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King had wooden pavilions and golden-framed mirrors way back in the 13th century. The Khmer Kings in all their pomp and grandeur watched their victorious armies march down along with their horse-drawn chariots and elephants parading in a colourful procession.
Tes joined us on the terrace and began enlightening us on this giant viewing gallery which also served as a base for the king’s grand audience hall. The terrace is elevated and stands 3 m in height from the ground and is more than 300 m long. As we took a stroll along the terrace, we got a fair idea of this giant viewing stand.
The terrace had five sets of stone steps leading towards the ground level – three towards the middle of the terrace and two on either sides.
The terrace had naga balustrades and guardian lions placed strategically. A few of the lions looked a bit new – 21st century.
But why was this terrace known as the Terrace of Elephants?
We had seen the nagas and lions on the terrace…but where were the elephants? We couldn’t see any elephants standing on the terrace. But once we stepped down to the ground level, all we could see was one elephant carving after another. All 300 meters of it.
At several sections, we found large elephant heads protruding out from the wall. Their long trunks forming pillars and extending to the ground and gathering lotuses, similar to those at the gates of Angkor Thom.
A few walls were decorated with alternating life-size garudas and lions. They had their arms raised as if they were holding up and supporting the terrace.
We also found a procession of elephants complete with their Khmer mahouts.
The northern wall of the terrace has beautiful carvings of Apsaras, warriors and mythical animals like a multi-headed horse – Balaha.
From the Terrace of the Elephants we walked to our destination, the Terrace of the Leper King.
