  Prasat Bat Chum Temple, Angkor
Prasat Bat Chum is a small and rather difficult to reach temple in Angkor. It was built for King Rajendravarman by Kavindrarimathana, the same architect who designed the king's palace as well as the temple of East Mebon, and also probably had a hand in Pre Rup. Kavindrarimathana is the only ancient Khmer architect whose name is known. To his own credit, he also designed Srah Srang.
I introduced Prasat Bat Chum to my tuk tuk driver Mr Han. Although he has not been to it, I told him where it should be, and insisted on searching for it. At first he was reluctant, but later helped to drive me on the lane that I pointed out, until we reached the temple.
Prasat Bat Chum consists of three brick towers, or prasat. They sit on a platform facing east. You can catch a glimpse of them from the main road that runs between Srah Srang and Prasat Kravan. From Srah Srang to Prasat Kravan, be on the look out for three brick towers (as seen on this page), and turn left into the lane that leads to it.
Prasat Bat Chum
When I visited, the northern prasat was undergoing restoration, and hence was engulfed in scaffolds. I observed that the brick towers had stone door frames, lintels and octagonal colonettes, all similar to those found at Prasat Kravan. In front of the temple are the stone guardian lions. On each tower are inscriptions which, I learned afterwards, were poems of praise to the builder, and signed by different persons. And curiously, all the three inscriptions conclude with a sort of "ancient no parking sign", requesting that elephant owners prevent their animals from trampling on dykes and damaging them.
Construction Details
Built in the middle of the 10th Century
by Kavindrarimathana, during the reign of King Rajendravarman II (reigned 944-968)
How to reach Prasat Bat Chum
Prasat Bat Chum is located aboout 400 meters south of Srah Srang. Look for a turning on the left. From the opposite direction, it is 300 meters north of Prasat Kravan, with the turning on the right. The turning in leads into an unpaved road which makes a turning to the left after about 300 meters before turning left again.
Guardian lion at Prasat Batchum.
The lintel from Prasat Batchum.
Prasat undergoing restoration.
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