Image of the Temple

Pediment, West Sanctuary Entrance, Phnom Rung

Above the west lintel of the sanctuary is a scene from the Ramayana. The temple shown here is a miniature of Phnom Rung itself, being drawn through the air and surrounded by Hanuman's monkey army and the heads of celestials. Freeman (p.108) identifies this as Ravana's Pushpaka chariot, in which Sita was taken to view the battlefield. Representations of the chariots of the gods (and demons) as flying temples, are common in Southeast Asian art.

At the very top of the miniature temple is a finial, in the form of a trident. Such a trident may once have capped the actual temple.