A view from the hilltop approach to the 175-yard-long causeway that leads to a naga-protected bridge and tiered stairways beyond.

Multi-headed naga guarding the bridge at the end of the causeway

View of the eastern gallery surrounding the central sanctuary and one of the four lotus-filled ponds of the main terrace

The main entrance to the inner sanctuary is through this opening in the gopura or entry pavilion. The meditating Shiva is on the pediment above, Indra on the lintel below. In the far distance is the silhouette of a Shiva linga in the most sacred chamber of the temple.

The eastern surrounding gallery, looking south

The eastern surrounding gallery, looking north

A portion of the surrounding gallery on the south, with the central tower in the background

The tower seen from the southeast

The central tower or prang

A portion of the south wall

The central tower or prang, which housed the temple's most sacred object of worship

The southern entrance to the central tower

The eastern entrance of the mandapa, the antechamber leading to the main shrine. The carving on the pediment depicts the ten-armed dancing Shiva, Shiva Nataraja, Lord of the Cosmic Dance. As god of both creation and destruction he has the awesome ability to create, sustain, and withdraw the universe. Here he is seen dancing on an altar on Kailasa, his mountain home.

On the lintel, Vishnu reclines on Ananta, mythical king of the naga, who is floating on the Sea of Milk, the source of Amrita, the nectar of immortality. Lakshmi, Vishnu’s consort, is at his feet. Rising from Vishnu’s navel is a lotus flower, on which Brahma is seated. Brahma will bring to fruition Vishnu’s dream of a new cosmic order, recreating the universe as part of an endless cycle of destruction and regeneration.

The central tower or prang symbolized Kailasa, Shiva's Himalayan mountain home, as well as Mt. Meru, home of the gods and axis of the universe in Hindu cosmology.

Two female figures at Shiva's feet are too damaged to identify. They may be disciples; one could have been Uma, Shiva's consort.

Other portions of the temple are richly carved with episodes from Hindu lore.

A rishi or yogi

At each of the entrances to the mandapa was a carved sandstone block depicting a guardian of a compass direction. The top of this block is carved in a lotus pattern.

The holiest space within the central tower contained an aniconic sculpture representing the god Shiva in the form of a linga. Embodying both fearsome and benign aspects, Shiva was worshipped as the great generative principle of the universe.

The rough-hewn textures of the inner walls of the sanctuary are in contrast to the finely-carved details of the exterior.

Much of the imagery decorating the temple derives from the Hindu classic Ramayana. In this scene over the west entry to the central tower, a replica of the tower serves as the chariot that carries the abducted Sita, Rama's wife, off to the evil Ravana. On the lintel, Rama and Lakshmana are wrapped in the coils of a serpentlike arrow, captives of Indrajit, Ravana's son.

Part of the Hindu architectural tradition originating in India, stone balusters fill the window opening here.

A false entrance to Prasat Noi, a smaller structure that predates the construction of the temple's other structures.

Some of the stones that line the gallery walls or the walls of lesser buildings in the temple grounds are rich in color and texture.

A glimpse of the west entrance porch of the central tower, with a portion of the surrounding gallery wall in the background

The central tower from the north

Another view of the central sanctuary from the north

The north entry porch and the central tower behind it

An incongruous juxtaposition of 21st-century jet vapor trail and the ancient Khmer sanctuary

The mandapa again: principal inner entrance to the main tower

And one last look at the spectacular eastern face of the mandapa

Detail of the eastern gallery, with the top of the central tower in back

View of the western wall of the gallery, with the central tower in the background

A portion of the eastern gallery and the main entry gopura leading to the inner sanctuary