Chau Say Tevoda Temple

Chau Say Tevoda (Khmer: ប្រាសាទចៅសាយទេវតា) forms a pair with its similarly-arranged northern counterpart Thommanon Temple, located in a symmetrical fashion on the opposite side of the Victory Road leading from the Royal Palace to the East Baray.  Note, however, that both Thommanon Temple and Chau Say Tevoda pre-date this road, which was constructed under Jayavarman VII.

Chau Say Tevoda was built after the slightly larger Thommanon, and has undergone a lengthy and extensive restoration that, in my opinion, may have gone a little too far.  The high-quality anastylosis certainly makes it easier to understand the arrangement and features of the temple, but much of what you see is replacements, and in a few years it may be difficult to distinguish the new work from the original 12th century carvings.

Chau Say Tevoda, like Thommanon Temple, has excellent Angkor-Wat-style decoration, the best of which is on the east gopura, the pediments of the south library, and the outer walls of the sanctuary.  The beautiful pediment on the eastern gate with the monkey Sugriva on a throne held up by apsaras is particularly fine.  Chau Say Tevoda also has some lovely devatas.