Natural Magic Shiva Linga of Preah Theat Mountain (Thmor Thom)

From Phnom Penh, drive down National Road No. 5 and turn left at Damnak Trach market. Then drive about 38 km. along the local red soil road to reach Preah Theat Mountain. Along the way, this red soil road is linked to several villages of Samki Mean Chey district of Kampong Chhnang province directly through the high plateau area near the foot of the Oral Mountain.

There, a few small mountains start rising up above the level of the villages and the emerald jungle comes into clear view. And from afar, enormous stones that stand on the peak of Preah Theat mountain top can be seen. The largest and highest stone pieces were called by the local people ‘Preah Sereyrikatheat’ of Preah Theat mountain, which the ancient stone inscription has as ‘Shiva Linga Sriparvata’.

The Shiva Linga Sriparvata is the most important god in the pantheon of gods in the Brahman religion, entrusted to forever protect the earth of the ancient Khmer Empire.

(roup1) At this mountain area, many legends and myths related to traditional cosmological beliefs of gods, mythology, and ancient history are recounted by the more elderly of the local people near the Preah Theat mountain. Many arguments about materials and locations linger at the mountain area.

This area has made a deep, spiritual impact on people who practice and participate in special, sacred worship rituals when they arrive there.

Most of the local people go there to pray for luck, happiness and prosperity or even for abundant crops. Some couples go to Preah Theat mountain for the special purpose of praying for fertility, following unsuccessful attempts of conceiving children after being married for a long period of time. These traditions and beliefs were derived from their ancient ancestors a long time ago and today's generations often find it extremely difficult to find the original source of their ancestors' traditional beliefs.

Chhin is a 55 year old grandfather and the Achar of Preah Theat pagoda, which is located at the foot of Preah Theat mountain. He said, "Actually we don’t know why our ancestors have kept their tradition of praying to this mountain and stones. But when people come to pray here, they must have had some success in order to make them come back again and again."

"I remember some legends about Lord Buddha. They were related to me by my monk teacher and the elderly Achar, when I was boy," Chhin said.

(roup 2) He recalled that there are the bone relics of the Savaka of Lord Buddha kept for sacred storage on the peak of the mountain. That's why our ancestors called this mountain ‘Preah Sereyrikatheat’ or ‘Preah Theat’ till this day. Savaka means the 500 monks who supported and followed the Lord Buddha when he was still alive.

Until 1979, there were many small gold images of the Buddha kept in the temple’s cave under the tallest stone there, but they were lost during the time that the Vietnamese soldiers came to occupy this mountain immediately after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime.

Mr. Chhin said, "I just follow the traditions of our ancestors and respect this sacred place."
"Every year before I sow my crops, I pray to the god of magic here at Preah Sereyrikatheat. Then at harvest time we always get bountiful yields," Chhin said.

"All the local people come to pray here before we go out of our home villages to engage in business or to travel any distance. Then every thing happens as we wish."

"Nowadays some people from far away, such as Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, have begun to come here to pray for whatever they need. Then those people returned to pray again and to leave a token of respect for the success of their prayers," Chhin said. "Because of the powerful magic of this sacred place, our ancestors handed down this tradition to us."

Mr. Vong Sotheara, a lecturer in the History Department at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, has made several trips to Preah Theat mountain to research some astonishing artifacts and events from the historical script that relate to this mountain.

(roup 3) He said the inscription K.441 of Yeay Poan temple at Sambor Prei Kuh is from the 7th century which is pre-Angkorian history. This inscription states that the king built and offered respect to a big natural Shiva Linga on the top of the mountain named ‘Lingadri’. This natural linga has a 92 meter perimeter and rises 25 meters high.

"Mr. George Cœdés, a French expert and scholar of history and culture of Southeast Asia, studied this inscription. He suggests that the Lingadri today is located at Phou Kao Mountain nearby Wat Phou temple in Champa Sak province of Lao P.D.R." Sotheara added. "But according to my research, the ‘Lingadri’ which can also be called ‘Linga Sriparvata,’ is located on Preah Theat mountain of Kampong Chhnang province."

"The evidence to substantiate this is simply that the size of the natural Shiva Linga at Phou Kao mountain has only a 35 meter perimeter and is only18 meters high. It is smaller than the inscription that K.441 describes. The K.441 inscription more accurately describes the one at Phnom Preah Theat," Sotheara said.

"Other inscriptions written during the Angkor period from Damrei temple, Andong temple and Baksei Cham Krong temple all describe the Shiva Linga as having a height of 36 meters, which is similar to this natural Shiva Linga on Preah Theat mountain," he said. And the script from the Koh Ker area mentioned that King Jayavarmen IV paid his respects to the Shiva Linga of Preah Theat mountain.

"One of the most important proofs of this is in 1016, when the great King Suryavarman I celebrated his Tapoverya in the Preah Vihear temple on the peak of Dangrek mountain. The king tried to invite the two magic Shivas there to rebirth a Shiva named ‘Sri Sekharisvara’ to protect this great temple," Sotheara said. The Tapoverya ceremony is a very special meditation ceremony in the Brahman religion that may involve magic from Shiva and natural power of the king to bring success as the King of the Empire. In the past, most great Khmer kings during the Angkor period celebrated this Tapoverya ceremony during their reigns.

Then the King Suryavarman I celebrated a successful Tapoverya ceremony. This ceremony was an invitation to the Shiva Sri Sekharisvara power to protect the temple area. That is why people at that time called it ‘Sri Sekharisvara’ temple while people today call it ‘Preah Vihear’ temple. So the Preah Theat natural linga should be the ancestor of the Shiva god named Sri Sekharisvara of the Preah Vihear temple.

"I believe that this Shiva ‘Linga Sriparvata’ is the biggest Shiva Lingaparvata in the world," Sotheara said. The ground floor structure was build with sandstone and brick, emulating the Sambo Prey Kuh style. I am sure that this natural linga was a celebration of the magic power of Shiva Linga at least as far back as the 7th century during the Chenla era."

Mr. Ang Kim Eang, President of Great Angkor Tours and Travel, was surprised when he arrived at Preah Theat mountain when he found, on the grounds surrounding the linga, a protective area that resembled a temple

"The top stone is celebrated as the natural Shiva linga with the remaining protective structure similar to a temple. On the lower level is the other large stone which is shorter than the linga. This should be the yoni of Shiva's wife because the construction style is the same," Kim Eang said.

"With this enduring history and the uniqueness of the biggest and tallest natural Shiva linga and yoni as well as the beautiful vistas, this Preah Theat mountain will be a new destination that should be suggested in our tour itineraries from Phnom Penh," Kim Eang said. "I hope that many foreigners will decide to come here. It should also be a good link to the ancient capital of Long Vek as well as some traditional handicraft villages of Kampong Chhnang province."

For those who reach the top of the Preah Theat mountain, there is a rest area with stone seats affording the best view around this area. When you look south down the stairway, there is a magnificent verdant landscape from the south and sweeping across to the east.

From the north and the west there is the emerald, tropical jungle linking the many smaller mountains to the higher Oral Mountain which touches the white fluffy clouds. Oral Mountain is one of the highest mountains in Cambodia

The Preah Theat mountain is the most holy place. Visitors are prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages or uttering profanities. Also, girlfriends and boyfriends will receive bad luck if they kiss there.

To be safe and successful in all things, Phnom Preah Theat may be the best place to pray. Then when you return home, why not take some water from the Yoni or Linga basin storage as your holy water.