Heritage site
Prasat Bei
Prasat Bei is a group of three brick towers at Angkor, built in the 10th century near the south gate of Angkor Thom and dedicated to Shiva.[1][2] The name means "three towers".[2][1]
Location
The towers stand between Baksei Chamkrong and the moat of Angkor Thom, west of the road to the south gate.[2] Glaize placed them 300 meters west of the road, on the same cart track as the ruined tower of Thma Bay Kaek and 175 meters beyond it.[1]
The temple
The three towers stand in a row from north to south on a shared laterite platform of 24 by 9.6 meters, and they open to the east.[1] Building was never finished.[2] The central tower rises 10 meters.[2] The northern and southern towers stop just above their doors, and the northern tower is incomplete.[1]
The middle tower holds a pedestal with its linga. Its lintel shows the god Indra at the center, riding a three-headed elephant. The lintel of the southern tower lies on the ground and also shows Indra, on an elephant with one head. The lintel of the northern tower was only roughed out.[1]
History
Glaize dated the temple to the 10th century and recorded its cult as Brahmanic, dedicated to Shiva.[1] Canby's guide gives King Yasovarman I as its patron and assigns it to the Bakheng style.[2] Henri Marchal cleared the site in 1919.[1]