Arjuna vs. Karna battle depicted on the pediment of a corner tower in the Bakan
Facade of a corner tower in the Bakan
The image shows the finely-carved but weathered facade of one of the four corner towers located on the uppermost terrace, also known as the Bakan, of the Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
As you can see, the intricately-carved lintel has an unidentified four-armed deity in the middle, and flanking it are two beautifully carved lions. Decorative foliage covers the rest of the lintel.
Situated above the lintel is a stack of pediments, most of which are damaged. Only the relief in the bottom pediment, which is the widest, is intact. This relief appears to depict a battle scene in which the soldiers from the opposing armies are getting ready for a battle. In the middle of the pediment, you can see two large horses standing on their hind legs (i.e., rearing) and facing each other, and behind the horses are the chariots carrying the commanders.
This scene is likely based on an episode in the Battle of Kurukshetra chapter of Mahabharata. In this scene, Arjuna, the commander of the Pandavas, confronts Karna, the commander of the Kauravas, on the battlefront. As you can see from the image, both Arjuna and Karna are standing on their respective chariots and shooting arrows at each other.
The Arjuna vs. Karna battle is a popular theme in many sculptures and reliefs carved in the Hindu temples in India and Southeast Asia.
Related Images
The following images are from the Battle of Kurukshetra bas-relief carved on the southern section of the west gallery in the lower level of the temple:
– Battle of Kurukshetra – Advancing Kaurava army and the death of Bhishma
– Death of Bhishma
– Battle of Kurukshetra – Melee of Kaurava and Pandava warriors
Related Pages
– Angkor Wat, Angkor Wat Bas-Reliefs, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei
– Phnom Kulen, Tonlé Sap, Cambodia
– Bali, Prambanan, Borobudur, Indonesia
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