Bak Temple (ប្រាសាទបាក់) is one of the lesser-known shrines within the ancient capital of Chok Gargyar (ឆោកគគ្យរ៌) or known as Koh Ker complex presently, a significant archaeological site in northern Cambodia (Preah Vihear Province) that briefly served as the capital of the Khmer Empire in the 10th century, during the reign of Jayavarman IV. The dilapidated state of this laterite temple lies some 2.5 kilometers south of the south-west corner of the Rahal (Baray or Artificial Reservoir).
Nestled amid dense forest, this small-sized reflects the distinctive Koh Ker style, known for its bold, linear structures and use of laterite and sandstone. Though modest in size, the temple may have once been an active Hindu shrine, possibly dedicated to Shiva and later Ganesha, consistent with the religious practices of the era.
Although the building itself has long since collapsed, its special feature was the presence of a huge sandstone statue of a seated Ganesha before it was stolen by looters and sold on the black-market during Cambodia’s civil war. It was sculpted on its elaborate pedestal from a single rock. Fortunately, the past is another new page in the history of Cambodia after the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts announced the return of 28 artifacts, including Ganesha of Prasat Bak. According to Andy Brouwer, the statue of Ganesha of Bak temple is the largest ancient statue of Ganesha in Khmer history. More than 1,000 years old, this sandstone statue of Ganesha is more than 2.43 meters high, with the head of an elephant and the body of a person in a meditative posture. It is probably the only worship of Ganesha, the god of intelligence, as symbolized by his bulging head. The statue had survived the ravages of time more or less intact until looters in search of treasure knocked it over, breaking the forehead and trunk, and causing further damage to the right arm and the left tusk.
Its surviving elements—weathered walls and partially collapsed towers—offer a glimpse into the spiritual and architectural life of a once-flourishing royal city. While it does not match the grandeur of the Prasat Thom pyramid nearby, Bak Temple contributes to the mosaic of sanctuaries that make Koh Ker a site of immense historical and cultural value.
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Bak Temple © Beyondangkor.org 
Bak Temple © Beyondangkor.org 
Bak Temple © Beyondangkor.org 
Bak Temple © Beyondangkor.org 
