42 Hindu Temples to Explore in Cambodia

Phnom Chhngok is a temple located close to Kampot in Cambodia. It is the only cave temple in Cambodia and is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. The temple ruins are older than the Angkor structures belonging to the Funan era, and it is one of the attractions while visiting Kampot. Phnom Chhngok cave temple is popular among the tourists for its Pre-Angkor period ruins and its remote countryside location surrounded by green fields.

Phnom Krom is a hill located about 12 kilometers southwest of Siem Reap, and is home to a spectacular Angkorian temple built in the 9th century, called Prasat Phnom Krom. The hill is also the best spot to catch the sunset in the Siem Reap area, which can be enjoyed from a beautiful pagoda at the top of the 140-meter-high hilltop.

Phnom Sorsia is home to several natural caves. From the parking area, a stairway leads up the hillside to a gaudy modern temple. From there, steps lead left up to Rung Damrey Saa. A slippery, sloping staircase leads down and then up and then out through a hole in the other side. Exit the cave and follow the right-hand path that leads back to the temple.

A huge temple that was dedicated to Shiva. It was a sanctuary built temple on the flat terrace without the false door and faced to the east. In the ancient period. There are so many things to see in and around this temple and it is one of the favorite places of tourists.

Beng Mealea is a temple in the Angkor Wat style located 40 km east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia, on the ancient royal highway to Preah Khan Kompong Svay. It was built by King Suryavarman II, early 12th century by the primary deity to Vishnu with the architecture of Angkor Wat.

Prasat Kravan is a 10th-century Hindu temple which was originally dedicated to Vishnu. There are five brick towers that are oriented to the east and surrounded by a small moat. Unusually, the temple wasn’t built by the king, instead, it was constructed by high ranking officials during the reign of King Harshavarman I or Ishanavarman II. Prasat Kravan is in pretty good condition and its symmetry and lines make for a great photo opportunity.

Preah Khan Kompong Svay is an enormous temple complex located about 100 kilometers due east of Angkor. The name of the temple is a modern designation referring to the former name of the province (Kompong Svay) to distinguish it from the better-known Preah Khan temple in Angkor. Covering about twenty-five square kilometers, Preah Khan Kompong Svay is the largest Khmer-era monument ever constructed.

Preah Palilay is a small temple structure located just north of Phimeanakas in Angkor Thom. It contains elements from both Hinduism and Buddhism. It is famous for its unique structure, the surrounding thick jungle, 7-headed nagas, and headless guards create an eerie-feel. Nowadays it is one of the most visited attractions in Cambodia.

The archaeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk, “the temple in the richness of the forest” in the Khmer language, has been identified as Ishanapura, the capital of the Chenla Empire that flourished in the late 6th and early 7th centuries AD. The property comprises more than a hundred temples and so more. The art and architecture developed here became models for other parts of the region and lay the ground for the unique Khmer style of the Angkor period.

Prasat Ta Muen Thom or Prasat Ta Moan Thom is a Khmer temple located in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia. It lies not far from two related temples in a densely forested area where access is difficult on one of the passes through the Dangrek Mountains. These three temples, all within a few hundred meters of each other, formed a complex which was an important stop on a major route of the Khmer Empire

The Pre Rup was the state temple of King Rajendravarman II. It is a mountain temple built in the year 961, located just south of the large East Baray and the East Mebon, another mountain temple build by Rajendravarman II just 9 years earlier. In the early 20th century the Pre Rup had been completely overgrown and covered with soil. The temple was excavated during the 1930s and now it is one of the prime attractions in Cambodia.

Preah Khan temple is located in the Angkor Archaeological Park and is still largely unrestored. It is one of the larger temple complexes within the historic park. Preah Khan translates to “Holy Sword” in Khmer, named by Jayavarman VII in honor of his battle victory against the invading force of Chams, who belonged to a kingdom in what is now Vietnam, in the year 1191.

Preah Ko is one of the four temples which make up the Roluos Group, the other three being Bakong, Lolei, and Prasat Prei Monti. It’s one of the oldest temples built during the Khmer empire and predates Angkor Wat by a few hundred years. The temple was built under the Khmer King Indravarman I in 879 to honor members of the king's family, whom it places in relation to the Hindu deity Shiva.

Prasat Suor Prat is a 12th-century group of 12 towers built by King Jayavarman. The name translates as “The towers of the tight-rope dancers” in English. It’s believed that the towers were used to support a high wire which was stretched between them. The towers are located right in front of the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of the Elephants.

Ta Keo is one of the biggest temples built during the Khmer Empire and it was built a couple of hundred years before Angkor Wat temple. It was built as the state temple for Jayavarman V and he started construction in 975 AD. Unusually, the temple was never finished. There are many stories as to why Ta Keo was never completed, but nobody knows the real reason. Nowadays, It is quite a popular temple with visitors because of its sheer size – five sanctuary towers sit on top of a 22m stepped pyrami

Prasat Ta Nei is a late 12th Century stone temple located in Angkor, Cambodia. Built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, it is located near the northwest corner of the East Baray, a large holy reservoir. It was dedicated to the Buddha. It was built under King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century.

Ta Prohm Temple is a very popular part in a typical Angkor tour. It's the only major stop that wasn't fully reclaimed from the jungle. Many of the walls and structures have been smothered by huge silk-cotton trees and strangler figs, which grow over, around, and through the ancient stone blocks. These trees both hold the ruins together and cause them to collapse.

The Khmer temple of Ta Som, located at the eastern end of the Northern Baray at Angkor, was built at the end of the twelfth century during the reign of the powerful Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. Little is known of the history and purpose of Ta Som. It was likely dedicated to Jayavarman VII’s father, although some have speculated that it may have been dedicated to one of his teachers. The site is relatively small compared with the many other temples built under Jayavarman’s reign.

Temple of Preah Vihear is dedicated to Shiva. The Temple is composed of a series of sanctuaries linked by a system of pavements and staircases over an 800 metre long axis and dates back to the first half of the 11th century AD. Nevertheless, its complex history can be traced to the 9th century, when the hermitage was founded.

Koh Ker was once an ancient capital of Cambodia, located in Srayong Cheung village. The Koh Ker complex is on the Chhork Koki highland. It was built by King Jayavarman IV. Koh Ker temple is 35 meters high, and its design resembles a seven-stepped stupa. The temple faces west toward Angkor city. It was built to worship Treypuvanesvara, the god of happiness.