San Phra Kan
| Native Name | ศาลพระกาฬ, សានព្រះកាន |
|---|---|
| Alternative name | Kala Shrine, San Sung (EFEO), Wat San Phra Kan (CISARK), Phra Kali, (TFAD) |
| BA# | T15009 |
| CISARK# | 1004 |
| IK# | 467 |
| K Inscription | K.409, K.410, K.703 |
| Inscr. Location | Unknown |
| Size | Small |
| Condition | Ruin |
| Type | Temple |
| Location | |
| Part of | Lavodayapura |
| Commune | Tha Hin |
| District | Muang Lopburi |
| Province | Lopburi |
| Country | Thailand |
| Coordinates | 14.80229, 100.61502 |
| History | |
| Founded | Early 11th Century (?) |
| Builder | Suryavarman I (?) |
| Art Style | Khleang (?) |
| Material | Laterite |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Deity | Vishnu |
| Year/s Restored | Various |
San Phra Kan (ศาลพระกาฬ - Pronounced: San Pra Kan)
Another downtown Lopburi site, this time located on a rather macaque-infested traffic circle just southeast of Phra Prang Sam Yot. The Phra Kan Shrine today features a substantial laterite ruin in which the high base and lower courses of laterite blocks of a sanctuary remain. No superstructure or sandstone elements are in situ today although colonettes and steles, both featuring inscriptions, were found here. These include a rather incongruous octagonal colonette featuring several inscriptions in Mon (K.409) which have been dated to the 7th-9th centuries. (Since octagonal colonettes didn't make an appearance in Khmer - or to our knowledge Dvaravati - art until the 9th century that would place the artefact at the latter end of the timeframe.) A stele (K.410 - see gallery below) with old Khmer text appears to date from the early 11th which would correspond more logically to the Suryavarman I era as does the inscribed pillar/column K.703 which is ascribed to the late 10th or early 11th century.
To confuse dating even further, a lintel now housed in the King Narai National Museum, and ascribed to a Bahuon-style, was also reportedly found at this site. (See below.) However, the artefact is somewhat problematic in several areas; A. the simple, possibly unfinished and now eroded design seems insufficient to ascribe any particular style with certainty and B; we've noted before a FAD tendency to ascribe an inordinate amount of artefacts of uncertain date to what was a very narrow historical period (1) and C. the presence of a relief or lintel at a certain site - that was not found in situ - is not evidence of the date of the particular sanctuary.
While the laterite ruin is impressive, San Phra Kan actually refers to an adjacent shrine of a more recent date, (1951 we're informed) - also commonly known as the Kala Shrine. This small shrine houses some ancient statues including a highly venerated Vishnu image. The statue is Khmer although at some stage in its history, Vishnu's head was replaced by an Ayutthaya-style Buddha one. Several additional, smaller sculptures are housed in the shrine - certain Buddhas are clearly later-period, Theravada-style sculptures - although certain appear Khmer. (They are all covered in gold leaf and not easy to identify.)
(1) The TFAD regularly employs 'Baphuon' to describe styles ranging from late Khleang to Angkor Wat periods and while we're the first to agree that Angkorean art styles are not set in stone, (no pun intended), Baphuon is a specific and relatively narrow historical era.
Map Location
Image Gallery
At King Narai National Museum
At King Narai National Museum
At Bangkok National Museum
If you would like to upload additional images to the gallery, please refer to the Upload Instructions guide
Historic Archive
A collection of historic photographs, artist sketches, maps etc. (Please ensure that anything you do upload is free of copyright and/or you have permission from the original photographer/artist/author to share)
Nearby Sites
- Ban Bo Kaeo
- Bumibhol Fort
- Don Masang
- King Narai National Museum
- Lavodayapura
- Phra Prang Sam Yot
- Prang Khaek
- San Phra Kan
- Sra Sawai
- T15024
- Wat Choeng Tha
- Wat Mahesuan
- Wat Nakhon Kosa
- Wat Nikroth
- Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat (Lopburi)
- Wat Sak
- Wat Sao Thong Thong
- Wat Tham Khuha Sawan
- Wat Tong Pu
- Wihan Phra Lavorojanarit Luang Pho Hin
External Links
Links to additional resources such as articles, websites, videos etc.
References