In Angkor, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia.
Preah Ko ("Sacred Ox') was dedicated to Shiva when it was erected in the 9th century. Preah Ko was named in honor of Shiva's mount Nandin. Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. Shiva also is the primary god of Shaivism, an influential denomination of Hinduism, and is the god of yoga and arts.
The six towers of Preah Ko are decorated with carved sandstones and plaster reliefs. Lions guard the entrance to the Temple (seen on the right in the photo).
Preha Ko was the first temple built in Hariharalaya, in the Angkorian area of the Khmer Empire (present day Cambodia).
The Khmer Empire's official religions were Hinduism and Buddhism at various times.
Preah Ko and other monuments and temples near it are considered part of the Roluos Group so named because of the Group's proximity to the modern town of Roluos. The Roluos Group is near the Angkor Archaeological Park.
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