The Siem Reap River is one of there important rivers that flow from north to south through the region of Angkor. The Siem Reap River lies east of the Pouk River and west of the Rolous River1. The Siem Reap River, as we know it today from Bampenh Reach to the south (see map), is the result of a human intervention which worked to change and continuously improve land management during five hundred years of Angkorian rule.
The Siem Reap River rises from small streams that flow from various hills located to the north of the plains of Angkor. These waters come together in single before flowing onto the plains. Among these streams, I will only discuss two important ones below: O Thom, or Big Stream, and the O Kbal Spean, or Stream Above the Bridge.
1. O Thom
The O Thom has its source on Phnom Kulen Kulen located about 40 kilometers to the northeast of Angkor. Phnom Kulen is a high plateau, 25 kilometers in length (from northwest to southeast), and 15 kilometersin width (from southwest to northeast). This plateau stands 300 to 450 meters higher than the surrounding plains. The eastern end of the Kulen plateau has a large "Chup" (a marshy water source) which gives birth to two important waterways: O Thma Dap (Stream of cutting stone) to the southeast which flows into Teuk Lech River in Srok Suknikun, and O Thom which flows to the northeast into the Siem Reap River (see map). The Chup is located about one kilometer northeast of Anlong Thom village2. In addition to the source, the O Thom is fed by many other small streams and rivulers from the plateau of Phnom Kulen. Amongst these small sources, the most important are: O Thnal Mtek O Thnal Dach, and O Ta Penh.
The O Thom meanders away from the Chup on the plateau of Kulen, winding down the slopes fo about 15 kilometers to the waterfalls found at the area of the Preah Ang Thom site. From the Anlong Pkay site, located above the waterfalls a few hundred meters, reliefs have been sculpted along the bed of the O Thom. These reliefs represent the god Vishnu reclining on the ocean in meditation, various gods, and many sculpted lingas. Very close to the waterfalls there is a temple which today is called the "Watefall Temple" but in earlier times was called the "rhinoceros stable"3. The temple is surrounded by laterite wall, which cuts the O Thom in half. Just above the waterfall is pool that serves almost like a reservoir or water rank, there are also relief carvings of gods in the water just above the waterfall. Just after the waterfall, a huge stone cuts the stream. This stone is also carved with many lingas. The villagers call this site "Kbal teuk muj" (head of the waterfalls), they call the linga "Kong" (gong). About 15 kilometers further down from the waterfalls, O Thom reaches the base of Phnom Hap (Hap hill) in te east . Finally, the O Thom flows to the west into Srung Russei (the Bamboo river), and then together the two run south forming the Siem Reap River.
2. O Kbal Spean
O Kbal Spean has its source on Phnom Kbal Spean (Kbal Spean hill) and Phnom Krol (Krol hill). These two hills are separated from Phnom Kulen to the west by a valley called "Kandol Sar" (the white rat valley)4 , which today is known as the passageway for the road to Sre Noy and Anlong Veng to the north. Kbal Spean is located in commune Khun Ream, Srok Banteay Srei, about 200 meters above sea level. It flows down from the northwest to the southeast, eventually flowing into the Stung Russei not far from the base of the hills. Several hundred meters to the north, two more important streams feed Stung Russei: O Chreap to the west and O Andaeng to the east.
About 2,000 meters from the road leading into the hills, we arrive at a waterfall about 5-6 meters high. Above the waterfall, there are many lingas, the symbol of the god Shiva's supreme essence, carved into the riverbed. The riverbanks, along with basins carved deep into the riverbed, are sculpted with a variety of scenes, symbols and inscriptions: the god Vishnu reclines on a serpent in the ocean in meditation, from his navel grows a lotus flower bearing the god Brahma5. The sculptures stretch along the streambed for a distance of 200 meters. These are also many "Poeung" (Stone shelters) located along the stream, some of which also have sculptures, inscriptions and stone pedstals.
Kbal Spean has been a sacred site for more than a millennium. Most of Kbal Spean's archaeological vestiges date to the 11th and 13th centuries. One inscription tells us that: "In the year 976 saka (1054 AD) a minister of Kng Suryavarman I, had the site decorated with a thousand lingas (sahasrainga). In 980 saka (1059 AD) King Udayadivarman II, officially consecrated the engraved stream, the stream of a thousand lingas, and erected a large golden linga on the site".
Flowing past and over the reliefs of O Thom and O Kbal Spean, the water is sanctified before entering the Siem Reap and Pouk rivers, which continue south onto the plain and through the temple complexes of Angkor. Thus the water is seen as the source of prosperity.
The Siem Reap River can be compared to the compared to the Ganges River in India. The Gangas begins on the mountain of Himalaya. In Hinduism, the Ganges is believed to have its source in the heavens. The Ganges flows down to earth in the form of rain, then infiltrates the ground and flows out again as the source to all streams and rivers. The northern hills of Angkor, as well as the mountain of Himalaya, receive the monsoon rains of the same rainy season. These mountains are reservoirs of water and the source of all streams and rivers. Local peoples used and manged the water from the river for everyday use.
Cambodia doesn't have an equivalent to the Ganges River. So the ancient Khmer modified the existing rivers and consecrated them to form a kind of Ganges. The Khmer carved lingas and representations of various gods deep into the bed of O Thom and O Kbal Spean. These two streams give birth to Siem Reap River. The water flowing past and over these lingas in like the rain falling on chigon of Shiva. Thus the Siem Reap River is transformed into the Gangas.
2. This village is located in commune of Khnang Phnom , Srok Svay Loeu, Siem Reap Province.
3. This Temple was given the number 279 in the inventory conducted by Jean Boulber. See "Le Phnom Kulen et sa region", EFEO, Paris 1979. The temple was built at the same time as the Bayon temple.
4. Villaget call it "Khnar Rongveas".
5. See jean Boulber and Bruno Dagens, "Les sites archeologiques de la region du Bhnam Gulen (Phnom Kulen)" in Arts Asiatiques, vol. XXVLL. 1973, Paris, as well as Jean Boulber, "Kbal Spean , The Stream of a Thousand Lingas"in Nokor Khmer, #2, January-March 1970, Sangkum Reatr Nuym Editionsm, Phnom Penh.
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