Airavata

The base of the tower carries this unusual sculpture of a three-headed elephant which must be Airavata, Indra's mount. Since Indra was the king of the gods, the symbolism seems to relate the tower to Mt. Meru, the home of the gods, as well as to Jayavarman, the king of men, with possible implications about the identity of the tower faces (previous page).

The subject appears both to the right and to the left of the entrance; the left sculpture is seen here.