The only major temple in the Angkor region not created by a king, Banteay Srei wasn’t much larger than a cluster of ten homes. Built by a wealthy patron of the Hindu Gods, the site was made of light red sandstone and was much more detailed than the massive temples to the south. Surrounded by a head-high wall made of large, laterite blocks, the temple consisted of a platform that supported three towers. Ajadevi and Jayavar had followed a long raised walkway to the main entrance, which brought them to a second walkway. This structure was roofed and graced by smooth pillars. At its end were several courtyards and a pair of ponds. The platform supporting the three towers was covered in intricate carvings that depicted demons, Gods, dancing women, snakes, and lotus flowers. Large swaths of sandstone had been carved to re-create heroic scenes from the Hindu epic The Ramayana. And though the temple was devoted to Shiva and Vishnu, inscriptions also championed the poor, the blind, the weak, and the ill.
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