Preah Thong and Neang Neak
Preah Thong[2] Neang Neakii[3] statue symbolises the birth of Khmer land, culture, traditions and civilisation of Cambodia. The statue is 21 metres tall on a pedestal 6.34 metres high (27.34 metres in total) is the largest copper statue in Cambodia and It weighs in total 60 tonnes and faces the sea.
រូបសំណាកព្រះថោងនាងនាគី | |
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| Location | Preah Thong Neang Neakii roundabout, Sihanoukville, Cambodia |
|---|---|
| Material | Copper (60 tonnes) |
| Height |
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| Completion date | 2022 |
History
Preah Thong[4] (Kaundinya I / Y Da) and Neang Neakii[5] (Queen Soma / Y Ga) are symbolic personas in Khmer culture. They are thought to have founded the pre-Angkorian state of Funan. Much of Khmer wedding customs can be traced back to the marriage of Preah Thong and Neang Neakii.
According to reports by two Chinese envoys, Kang Tai and Zhu Ying, the state of Funan was established by an Indian named Kaundinya. In the first century CE, Kaundinya was given instruction in a dream to take a magic bow from a temple and defeat a Naga princess named Soma (Chinese: Liuye, “Willow Leaf”), the daughter of the king of the Naga. She later married Kaundinya and their lineage became the royal dynasty of Funan. Kaundinya later built a capital, Vyadhapura and the kingdom also came to be known as Kambojadeśa.[6][7][8]
Modern theories
Newly discovered DNA evidence, suggest there is some truth to the Khmer creation mythology.
DNA sample taken from a protohistoric individual from the Wat Komnou cemetery at the Angkor Borei site in Cambodia contains substantial level of South Asian admixture (ca. 40–50%).
Radiocarbon dating result on the human bone (95% confidence interval is 78–234 calCE) indicate that this individual lived during the early period of Funan.[9]
References
- "Cambodia's largest copper statue, "Preah Thong Neang Neak" inaugurated - Khmer Times". 16 April 2022.
- "SEAlang Dictionary". www.sealang.net. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
- "SEAlang Dictionary". www.sealang.net. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
- "SEAlang Dictionary". www.sealang.net. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
- "SEAlang Dictionary". www.sealang.net. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
- Chad, Raymond (1 April 2005). "Regional Geographic Influence on Two Khmer Polities". Salve Regina University, Faculty and Staff: Articles and Papers: 137. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- The Asia-Pacific World . Retrieved March 5, 2013.
- Sanyal, Sanjeev (2016-08-10). The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History. Penguin UK. pp. 82–84. ISBN 978-93-86057-61-7.
- Changmai, Piya; Pinhasi, Ron; Pietrusewsky, Michael; Stark, Miriam T.; Ikehara-Quebral, Rona Michi; Reich, David; Flegontov, Pavel (2022-12-29). "Ancient DNA from Protohistoric Period Cambodia indicates that South Asians admixed with local populations as early as 1st–3rd centuries CE". Scientific Reports. 12 (1): 22507. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-26799-3. ISSN 2045-2322.