Buri Ram

    Located in the Lower Northeast, Buri Ram Province is now famous from the  "Vishnu Lintel"

    Prasat Phanom Rung

    There must be only few people who have never heard of Prasat Phanom Rung, as it is home of the famous lintel depicting the god Vishnu in slumber.

    This ancient Khmer sanctuary is situated atop an extinct volcano in Nang Rong district. It faces east and has a well-proportioned plan.

    From the original architecture attest to the fact that the sanctuary was built in dedication to Siva, the supreme god in the Brahmanic Saivaism. Restoration by the Fine Arts Department was started in 1971 before it was designated as an historical park which was officially opened in 1988.

    Prasat Muang Tam is another beautiful sanctuary in the Buri Ram Province which is located at Ban Khok Muang in Tambon Charakhae Mak,Prakhon Chi district, 10 km. from Prasat Phanom Rung.

    Prasat Muang Tam's prominent features are the ponds at the four corners between the gallery and the wall. They have sandstone edges carved as serpents each with five heads about one metre high, all constituting a stately composition.

    These indicate that the sanctuary was constructed according to Brahman Faith. The lintel's carvings indicated that the construction is dated to the period between the 11th and 12th centuries.

    Ancient Kilns

    Explorations by the Thailand Archaeological Project (Northeast) have located more than 100 ancient kilns in Buri Ram area. Three of these have been excavated are made of clay and are 12-16 m. long. All of them are crossdraft kilns with traces of subsequent additions. They are believed to have been used for the large-scale production of earthenware of the 10th to 14th centuries,i.e. brown and green glazed jugs,jars and crockery.