Images of the prominent Bodhisattva Lokesvara statue at an Oddar Meanchey roundabout, a new achievement of the provincial administration, prompted some individuals and members of the public to repost them with criticism. Some comments said that images of the Buddha should not be carved at the feet of Vishnu, or Narayana, a deity of Brahmanism, arguing that this insulted and demeaned Buddhism, the state religion.
In response, Oddar Meanchey’s Department of Culture and Fine Arts issued a press release on January 12 explaining that the sandstone roundabout statue depicts Bodhisattva Lokesvara, with eight arms holding different attributes and small Buddha images carved on the body and feet. It copies ancient forms displayed at the National Museum of Cambodia and among statues at Angkor Conservation. These are Angkorian, Bayon-style Mahayana Buddhist images dating from the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The department said such images had been deeply venerated and influential in Khmer society since ancient times, especially during the reign of Jayavarman VII. Many temples enshrined this bodhisattva or depicted him on their walls, including Ta Prohm at Tonle Bati, Bakan, Banteay Chhmar and some temples in the Angkor area.
The press release added that many images of Bodhisattva Lokesvara are now displayed in museums and at Angkor Conservation, where the public can visit and learn more. The provincial culture department therefore asked the public to take note and not mistake the statue for Vishnu, as the new carving copies original Lokesvara forms venerated in Khmer society since ancient times.
By: Nget Pisant
