Preah Vihear Temple

Preah Vihear Temple Latest News

Fighter jets, landmines, and diplomatic expulsions marked the sharpest escalation in tensions between Thailand and Cambodia in years over a dispute that stretches back over a century, and at the centre of it lies the 11th-century Preah Vihear Hindu temple.

About Preah Vihear Temple

• It is a Hindu temple located in the Preah Vihear Province, in the northern part of Cambodia.
• It is located atop a cliff on the Cambodia–Thailand border in the Dangrek Mountain range .
• It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. 
• It was built primarily during the golden period of the Khmer Empire, in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
• It was built firstly by King Suryavarman I (1002-50) and then expanded upon by Suryavarman II (1113-50).
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Preah Vihear Temple Architecture

• It is an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture.
• The temple is composed of a series of sanctuaries linked by a system of pavements and staircases over an 800-metre-long axis.
• It features more than five successive gopuras. 
• Unlike other structures of this kind, the gopuras here are connected by a long path and topped with multi-tiered platforms. 
• Each gopura has a small staircase. Some of these gopuras have stone roofs, while others have wooden roofs, many of which are in ruins. 

Preah Vihear Temple Dispute

• Preah Vihear Temple is the subject of a long-running territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. 
• In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that it belonged to Cambodia.
• However, Thailand has maintained that the land surrounding the temple — especially a 4.6 sq.km. patch —remains unresolved. 
• Tensions escalated again in 2008 after Cambodia succeeded in registering Preah Vihear as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 
• Thai nationalists objected, and skirmishes broke out, culminating in a deadly exchange in 2011 that killed at least 15 people.
• The ICJ reaffirmed its ruling in 2013, this time declaring that the surrounding land was also Cambodian — a decision that still stings in Bangkok.

Source: TOI