BEAUTIFUL BANTEAY SREI TEMPLE IN SIEM REAP PROVINCE,KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA 
Banteay Srei temple was built in 967 by Yajanavaraha ,a Brahmin priest and counselor of Khmer king Rajendravarman II and his brother.
The stele praises Khmer king Jayavarman V,who was king when the Banteay Srei temple was built and Yajnavaraha and his brothers ,the builders of the temple.
The pink sandstone structure is small compared to other Angkor Wat monuments.This is probably because the Banteay Srei was not built by a king and it would be considered disrespectful to built a monument larger and grander than a royal sponsored temple. To prevent further deterioration of the magnificent and much visited temple ,the inner sanctuary has been closed to visitors.
The outer enclosures:The Banteay Srei temple comprised of 4 enclosures containing a moat and several structures.within the fourth enclosure (the most outer one )is a processional walkways leading to the main Estern entrance.the walkway was lined by galleries on either side,of which most of the sandstone pillars are still sanding.Both pediments and lintel on the galleries contain very finely carved ornamentations. among them are a depiction of Viradha who abducts Sita , a scene from the Indian epic Ramayana .others show Indra riding the three headed elephant Airavata ,Varuna ,the god of the oceans,Vishnu,Shiva,Uma and Nandi ,the sacred bull.
The third enclosures consists of a wall ,about 100 meters long that enclosed a moat ,which is now dry.Across the moat is a causeway leading to the eastern and western entrance Gopuras ,that are guarded by lions.
The second enclosuresthat measures 38 by 42 meters is delimited by a wall with a Gopura entrance on the East and West side,Among the wall are laterite rest galleries. the Eastern entrance doors is just 1.08 meter high.
Within the second enclosure are two library buildings opening the west ,one on each side of the east entrance.the pediments of both libraries contain carving of mythological stories.
